IRLF 


I. 


SILVER  CLOUD 


, 


f:    -F  : 

yfi.1 


• 


UBRAftK 
OF 


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DOCTOR  JONES'  PICNIC 


BY 


S.  E.  CHAPMAN,  M.  D. 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

THE  WHITAKER  &  RAY  CO. 

PUBLISHERS 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


Copyrighted  1898,  by 

S.  E.  CHAPMAN,  M.  D. 

All  Rights  Reserved 


\ 


PREFACE. 


I  must  confess  that  I  offer  this  romance  to  the  read 
ing  public  with  no  little  trepidation.  I  am  fully 
aware  of  having  transcended  the  ordinary  rules  and  paths 
of  legitimate  romance,  and  that  I  have  presumed  to 
broach  fearlessly  the  deep  things  of  God.  The  scope  of 
the  work  is  infinitely  beyond  the  remotest  thought  of  the 
writer  when  he  began  this  labor;  but  as  it  grew,  deepened 
and  broadened  upon  his  hands  from  day  to  day,  like 
Noah's  dove  he  could  find  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  his  foot, 
and  found  it  impossible  to  stop  short  of  the  Millennium. 

The  author  is  ready  to  substantiate  the  marvelous 
cures  performed  by  Dr.  Jones,  for  they  are  cases  from 
practice.  One  of  the  objects  of  this  work  is  to  stimulate 
scientific  investigation  of  the  law  of  cure  which  guided 
the  worthy  Doctor  in  his  selection  of  the  remedy  in  a  giv 
en  case. 

As  to  whether  Silver  Cloud  and  her  achievements  be 
possible  or  not,  I  am  not  specially  concerned.  And 
whether  there  are  air  currents  in  the  "upper  deep,"  as  de 
scribed  within  these  pages,  is  a  matter  of  little  or  no  con 
sequence.  We  are  desirous  of  being  fair  and  magnani 
mous,  and  will  let  the  burden  of  proof  rest  upon  the  "other 
fellow." 

When  we  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  means  by 
which  the  grand  finale  was  brought  about,  then  I  stand 
by  my  colors,  and  claim  to  have  delineated  the  only  way 
"out  of  the  woods"  for  the  suffering  world.  And,  further, 
the  denouement  is  but  the  inevitable  result  of  the  adop 
tion  of  Golden  Ruleism  bv  the  world. 


vi  PREFACE. 

No  thinking  man  can  fail  to  see  that  there  is  something 
fearfully  and  radically  wrong  in  this  world  of  ours.  The 
few  are  getting  too  much,  and  the  millions  are  getting 
far  too  little.  The  cry  of  the  poor  fills  the  earth,  and 
many  are  the  plans  that  have  been  devised  for  the  relief 
of  the  innumerable  sufferers;  but  there  is  an  essential  de 
fect  in  each  of  them,  nor  is  there  relief  to  be  obtained 
short  of  the  power  of  Almighty  God.  This  is  fully  com 
prehended  in  what  we  have  been  pleased  to  call  Golden 
Ruleism,  in  the  2nd  and  3d  volumes. 

Many  students  and  writers  upon  the  signs  of  the  times 
take  an  extremely  pessimistic  view  of  the  situation,  and 
believe  that  we  shall  witness  "blood  to  the  horses'  bri 
dles."  No  one  can  deny  that  things  are  desperately  bad, 
and  that  something  must  be  done  soon  to  relieve  the 
strain  or  the  very  worst  may  be  apprehended;  yet  the  au 
thor  prefers  to  see  things  through  optimistic  eyes,  and  be 
lieves  that  God  will  raise  up  a  Moses,  (or  Doctor  Jones, 
if  you  please,)  who  will  lead  us  to  a  higher  and  better 
state  than  this  world  has  yet  ever  known.  The  old  adage. 
'It  is  always  darkest  just  before  dawn/  is  beautifully  ap 
plicable  to  the  present  state  of  the  world.  So  I  take 
courage  and  launch  my  book  out  upon  the  tempestuous 
sea  of  humanity,  trusting  that  it  may  be  welcomed  as  the 
harbinger  of  a  better  and  happier  era.  I  am  sure  that  it 
bears  to  the  world  the  olive  branch  of  peace. 

As  is  usual  with  prefaces,  this  one  is  anticipatory  and 
can  only  be  appreciated  after  one  has  perused  the  book. 
So  I  make  the  request  of  the  reader  that  he  re-read  it  after 
having  become  acquainted  with  the  scheme  and  scope  of 
the  work. 

This  volume  is  to  be  immediately  followed  by  volumes 
two  and  three,  which  complete  the  set. 

S.  E.  CHAPMAN,  M.  D. 
Napa,  Cal.,  Dec.  13th,  1897. 


ISTDEX. 


Chapter  I.  "Figures  don't  lie." 1 

"        II.  Two  men  resolve  to  go  picnicking.     7 

"        III.          Mrs.  Jones  offers  some  objections. .  10 

"        I. V  Mrs.  Jones  dictates  terms 34 

"        V.            The  Government  joins  the  picnick 
ers 18 

"        VI.          Off  on  a  shoreless  sea 22 

"        VII.         A  Gunpowder  tea  party 25 

"        VIII.       Relating    how  the    beautiful    pic 
nic  progressed 32 

"        IX.          In  the  heart  of  Labrador 38 

"        X.  A  message  from  the  skies 49 

XI.          Is  the  world  growing  better? 54 

"        XII.        Greenland's  Icy  Mountains  and  the 

Russian  Bear 63 

XIII.  Beauty  and  the  Beast 75 

XIV.  Doctor  Jones  commits  treason ....  83 
"         XV.         A    model    teacher    and    an    ideal 

student 94 

XVI.  The  Count  steps  over  the  line. . .  .100 

XVII.  Farewell  to  Beauty  and  the  Beast.  .108 

XVIII.  Woman  locates  the  North  Pole.... 118 

XIX.  The  planting  of  the  Flagstaff. . .  .125 
"        XX.         Battle    of     Missionary  Ridge  anc 

Lookout  Mountain.  > 135 

XXI.  Things  material  and  spiritual. ..  .143 

XXII.  Familiar  scenes  and  faces 151 

XXIII.  The  world  at  the  feet  of    Doctor 

Jones 164 

XXIV.  Ho!  for  the  SOUTH  POLE!. .    .  .175 


DOCTOR  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTEK  I. 
"Figures  Don't  Lie/' 

The  North  Pole!  That  spot  upon  earth  so  environed 
with  trackless  fields  of  unbroken  snow  and  mountains  of 
ice;  with  an  atmosphere  so  cold  that  none  but  the  bravest 
and  hardiest  of  mankind  can  breathe  it  and  live.  And 
yet  these  apparently  insuperable  obstacles  have  but  stim 
ulated  men  to  do  and  dare  all  things,  so  that  they  might 
but  reach  that  ultima  thule.  In  vain  have  our  utilitarians 
cried,  "Qui  bono?"  God  has  planted  within  man  the 
spirit  of  lordship  and  domination;  and,  true  to  that  spirit, 
he  will  never  rest  until  Nature  shall  have  yielded  up  to 
him  her  last  secret,  and  his  restless  foot  shall  have  trodden 
the  wildest  and  farthest  spot  of  earth.  Then,  and  not  till 
then,  will  he  stand  crowned  "Lord  of  Creation." 

In  this  faithful  history  of  the  discovery  and  exact  loca 
tion  of  the  North  Pole,  it  is  not  necessary  to  bring  before 
the  reader  in  historical  review  the  many  illustrious  names 
and  grand  heroisms  of  former  explorers  of  Arctic  regions. 
They  did  marvelous  deeds,  beyond  the  comprehension  of 
those  who  did  not  actually  participate  in  them.  They 
sacrificed  thousands  of  noble  lives,  and  undoubtedly  did 
all  that  could  be  done  with  the  means  at  their  command. 
Ah!  there  we  have  struck  the  keynote.  The  means  at 
their  command  were  inadequate,  and  nothing  but  failure 
and  disaster  could  result  from  their  best  laid  plans  and 
efforts. 

Dr.  Jonathan  Jones  sat  in  his  office  in  the  populous, 

thriving  city  of  R ,  situated  in  one  of  our  western 

states.  He  occupied  an  easy  chair,  heels  upon  a  low,  flat- 
topped  writing  desk,  newspaper  in  hand,  reading  an  ac- 


2  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

count  of  the  failure  of  Dr.  Nansen  to  reach  the  North 
Pole.  That  renowned  and  hardy  explorer  proposed  reach 
ing  the  spot  by  floating  on  an  ice  floe.  We  are  all  familiar 
with  the  fact  that  he  did  actually  get  to  within  about  three 
hundred  miles  of  the  coveted  spot,  but  was  obliged  to  turn 
back  for  want  of  dogs  and  sledges. 

Dr.  Jones  laid  the  paper  down  with  a  groan.  "Will  they 
never  learn?"  he  apostrophizingly  cried  to  a  bust  of  Hahne- 
mann  that  rested  upon  a  bracket  in  a  corner  of  the  room. 
"They  can  never  get  there  on  any  such  lines.  I  believe 
it  to  be  a  perfectly  feasible  scheme,  if  worked  out  on  simple 
scientific  principles.  If  I  had  capital,  I  would  try  it." 

He  sat  with  the  points  of  his  extended  fingers  touching 
each  its  mate  of  the  opposite  hand,  and  mused  for  several 
moments.  Suddenly  he  seized  a  pencil,  and  rapidly  jotted 
down  figures,  lines,  and  characters  that  meant  nothing  to 
any  mortal  but  himself. 

"Figures  don't  lie!"  he  shouted  to  aforesaid  bust. 
"That  depends,  Doctor,  on  whether  they 'are  legitimately 
used  or  not.  Sometimes  they  are  made  to  represent  the 
vilest  untruth,"  said  a  voice  behind  him.  The  Doctor 
wheeled  about  and  encountered  the  genial  countenance  of 
Mr.  A.  L.  Denison. 

"Hullo!  Denison.  Just  the  man  I  wanted  to  see.  Sit 
down." 

"What's  up  now,  Doctor?  Anyone  hurt  or  seriously 
sick?"  inquired  Denison,  as  he  occupied  a  chair. 

For  answer  the  Doctor  read  aloud  the  account  of  Dr. 
Nansen's  failure  to  reach  the  North  Pole,  and  then  said: 
"I  do  not  wonder  that  he  failed.  No  one  will  succeed 
upon  any  such  lines  or  plans." 

"Well,  Doctor,  you  don't  suppose  that  anyone  will  ever 
get  there  and  back  alive,  do  you?" 

"Whether  they  will  or  not,  I  do  not  know;  but  that  it 
is  a  perfectly  feasible  and  rational  undertaking,  under 
proper  conditions,  I  as  firmly  believe  as  I  do  that  I  am 
alive,"  and  he  brought  his  fist  down  upon  the  desk  by  way 
of  emphasis  with  a  whack  that  made  the  various  loose 
articles  in  the  little  office  rattle.  Even  the  bust  upon  the 
bracket  moved  about  uneasily,  whether  by  way  of  approba 
tion  or  not,  this  truthful  chronicle  ventures  no  opinion. 
Denison  looked  at  the  flushed  face  and  glittering  eyes  of 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  3 

the  Doctor,  moved  uneasily  in  his  chair,  and  said:  "What's 
up,  Doctor?  I  never  knew  you  to  drink.  Getting  off?" 
tapping  his  os  frontis  with  his  forefinger  significantly. 

"Denison,"  replied  the  Doctor,  unheeding  the  innuen 
does  of  his  friend,  "I  tell  you  that  I  have  a  plan  for  going 
to,  and  returning  from,  the  North  Pole  with  perfect  safety, 
absolute  certainty,  and  a  degree  of  comfort  that  will  reduce 
the  whole  expedition  to  the  level  of  a  glorious  picnic." 
Denison  indulged  in  a  long,  low  whistle. 

"Draw  it  a  little  milder,  Doctor.  Go  to  and  return 
from  the  North  Pole  with  perfect  safety,  certainty,  com 
fort,  and  pleasure!  What  do  you  mean?  I  never  heard 
of  anything  so  preposterous  in  my  life!" 

"Hitch  up  to  the  desk  here,  and  I  will  soon  tell  you 
what  I  mean/'  cried  the  Doctor.  Denison  complied,  and 
the  Doctor,  seizing  a  pencil,  drew  upon  a  leaf  of  the  scratch 
book,  with  a  few  vigorous  strokes,  a  sketch  of  a  globe,  thus: 


"There,"  said  he,  as  he  gave  a  few  finishing  touches. 
"There  you  have  the  idea." 

"Well,  go  on." 

"This  sketch  represents  a  mammoth  globe  of  aluminum, 
two  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  as  you  will  notice. 

"I  see,"  assented  Denison. 


4  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"We  have,  then,  a  great  hollow  globe,  consisting,  as  I 
said  before,  of  aluminum.  I  have  chosen  that  material  for 
two  obvious  reasons;  lightness  and  strength.  The  globe 
is  simply  to  be  floated  by  heating  the  atmosphere  within 
it." 

"What  will  you  heat  it  with,  and  how  long  do  you  sup 
pose  it  will  be  before  your  globe  returns  to  the  earth?" 
asked  Denison. 

"Your  questions  are  quite  practical,  and  I  am  ready  to 
answer  them.  There  are  to  be  three  skins  or  coverings  to 
our  globe,  with  a  foot  of  space  (or  air  blanket,  if  you  please) 
between  them.  This  affords  us  two  air  chambers  that  ma 
terially  prevent  the  radiation  of  heat.  Once  heated,  a  very 
little  fuel  will  keep  the  interior  of  our  great  air-ship  at 
the  desired  temperature.  You  see,  at  the  inferior  or  lower 
part  of  the  ship,  a  square  apartment  attached,  plentifully 
supplied  with  windows.  That  represents  the  living  and 
store  rooms.  The  living  rooms  are  to  be  comfortably  fur 
nished,  and  no  reason  can  be  alleged  why  we  should  not 
enjoy  in  them  absolute  comfort.  In  our  storerooms,  we 
will  carry  one  year's  supply  of  food.  And  in  tanks  of 
sufficient  size,  petroleum  (or  whatever  combustible  we  con 
clude  to  be  most  suitable)  for  heating  and  cooking  pur 
poses.  See?" 

"I  see,"  said  Denison. 

"You  will  observe  that  so  conservative  of  heat  is  this 
arrangement  that  every  particle  of  caloric  created  in  the 
living  rooms,  or  cabin  below,  helps  by  that  much  to  float 
the  great  globe.  All  the  warmth  from  cooking  and  heat 
ing;  the  heat  and  smoke  from  our  pipes  and  cigars;  yea, 
even  the  animal  heat  which  radiates  from  our  bodies,  all 
subserve  the  one  great  purpose  and  function — keeping  up 
the  temperature  and  buoyant  effort  of  the  globe.  Do  you 
begin  to  catch  on?"  fairly  shouted  the  enthusiastic  Doc 
tor. 

"Well,  it  looks  very  well  so  far,"  returned  Denison  slow 
ly.  "But,  my  dear  sir,  I  foresee  one  difficulty  that  in  your 
enthusiasm  you  seem  to  have  overlooked.  You  can  never 
guide  or  steer  this  immense  ship.  It  must  go  with  the 
wind,  and  you  are  just  as  likely  to  go  to  the  South  Pole 
as  to  the  North,  and  very  unlikely  to  go  to  either.  You 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  5 

must  excuse  me,  but  this  last  is  certainly  an  insuperable 
obstacle  to  your  making  anything  practicable  of  your 
idea." 

"I  admit  at  once  that  this  great  body  could  not  be  steer 
ed,  nor  in  any  degree  guided  by  any  apparatus  that  we 
could  devise,"  assented  the  Doctor.  "But  that  we  should 
be  obliged  to  float  aimlessly,  hither  and  thither,  altogether 
the  creatures  of  chance,  I  do  not  for  a  moment  admit. 
The  equator,  receiving  as  it  does,  the  vertical  rays  of  the 
sun,  is  by  far  the  hottest  portion  of  the  earth.  The  at 
mosphere  at  that  quarter,  being  constantly  superheated 
and  correspondingly  rarified,  ascends  into  the  vault  above. 
t  This  creates  a  semi-vacuum  below,  and  the  cooler  atmos 
pheres  north  and  south  of  the  equator  rush  in  and  fill  the 
aforesaid  vaccuum.  Pouring  in  from  opposite  directions 
with  an  impetus  that  often  amounts  to  hurricanes,  they 
boil  up  as  they  meet,  miles  into  the  firmament  above.  They 
then  set  off  in  two  strong  currents  toward  either  Pole. 
What  is  the  natural  inference?  The  navigators  of  our 
air-ship  have  the  power  to  raise  and  lower  at  pleasure.  Ob 
viously,  there  is  but  one  thing  for  sensible  men  to  do: 
Let  her  rise  until  we  strike  a  northerly  current,  if  neces 
sary,  and  remain  in  it  so  long  as  it  is  favorable;  when  it 
changes,  rise  or  lower  until  another  favorable  current  is 
found,  etc.  Do  you  happen  to  think  of  any  more  'insup 
erable'  obstacles,  my  dear  sir?" 

"Well,  I  must  say  that  while  I  am  not  convinced  of  the 
practicability  of  your  scheme,  still  you  meet  my  objections 
in  a  way  that  is  quite  surprising,  and  which  shows  that 
you  have  given  the  matter  much  thought;  yet  I  am  not 
sure  that  you  will  not  run  upon  difficulties  that  will  make 
it  altogether  impossible.  For  instance,  there  is  the  cost 
of  so  vast  an  undertaking.  It  would  cost  hundreds  of 
thousands,  at  the  least  calculation/' 

"Now,  Denison,  you  have  struck  the  only  real  difficulty 
that  I  can  think  of.  I  really  have  no  idea  of  who  will 
furnish  the  money.  I  had  not  thought  even  of  asking 
anyone  to  do  so." 

Patients  came  in  at  this  juncture,  and  Denison  took  his 
departure.  A  few  days  later,  however,  he  returned,  and 
when  the  Doctor  was  at  leisure,  opened  the  conversation 


6  DR.  30NES'  PICNIC. 

by  asking  if  anything  had  developed  with  regard  to  the 
air-ship  building. 

"0,  ho!"  cried  Dr.  Jones,  "you  are  getting  into  my  way 
of  thinking  on  that  subject,  are  you?" 

"Well,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  have  thought  of  it  consid 
erably  since  I  saw  you.  I  would  like,  at  least,  to  see  it 
tried." 

"There  is  but  one  way  to  do:  If  you  get  interested  suffi 
ciently  to  wish  to  take  hold,  we  will  see  if  we  cannot  stir 
up  our  friends  and  form  a  stock  company.  Or,  failing 
in  that,  we  might  have  a  working  model  built,  and  I  think 
we  could  induce  the  Government  to  take  hold  of  the  mat 
ter." 

Denison  called  frequently  during  the  following  month, 
and  it  was  evident  that  he  was  fast  becoming  imbued  with 
the  Doctors  ideas  and  enthusiasm. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER     II. 
Two  Men  Eesolve  to  Go  Picnicking. 

One  afternoon,  the  Doctor  being  at  leisure,  he  and  Deni- 
son  talked  long  and  earnestly  of  their  never-failing  theme, 
the  aluminum  globe.  Denison  finally  said: 

"You  know,  Doctor,  that  I  never  go  into  anything  with 
out  due  consideration.  I  have  studied  this  matter  over 
carefully,  and  am  willing  to  chance  it  with  you.  We  have 
been  acquainted  a  great  many  years,  and  I  never  knew  you 
to  make  any  bad  breaks.  I  have  nothing  else  to  do  at 
present,,  and  have  a  few  thousands  that  I  am  willing  to  risk 
in  this  business.  If  I  lose  it  I  shall  let  it  go  for  experience 
and  blame  no  one  but  myself." 

"Denison,  you  know  very  well  that  I  would  not  lead  you 
into  anything  that  would  do  you  an  injury,  financially  or 
otherwise,  for  anything  in  the  world.  I  had  not  thought, 
indeed,  of  asking  you  to  take  any  part  or  stock  in  this 
scheme.  I  believe  in  it  with  all  my  soul,  but  had  not  al 
lowed  myself  to  seriously  think  of  promoting  or  investing 
in  it.  You  had  better  think  of  it  for  a  while  longer/' 

"As  I  told  you,"  returned  Denison,  "I  have  given  it  very 
serious  thought  for  several  weeks.  I  have  every  confidence 
in  the  world  in  you,  and  my  mind  is  thoroughly  made  up 
now  that  I  wish  to  go  with  you  into  this  enterprise.  You 
know  that  since  my  wife  died  1  have  done  little  or  nothing. 
I  have  no  family  to  occupy  my  mind,  and  this  is  the  first 
time  since  her  death  that  I  have  felt  any  interest  in  any 
thing.  It  took  something  extraordinary,  like  your  scheme, 
to  wake  me  up.  So  here  I  am,  Doctor,  yours  for  the  North 
Pole!" 

"Well,  old  friend,  you  are  a  man  of  the  right  spirit," 
said  Dr.  Jones,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  "and  I  am  willing 
to  do  with  you  what  we  can  to  get  the  Government  inter 
ested  in  this  matter.  What  shall  be  our  first  move?" 

How  can  you  leave  your  business  or  get  any  time  to 
do  anything  in  this  undertaking?"  asked  Denison. 


8  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"I  will  tell  you:  I  have  been  right  here,  at  the  old  stand, 
for  twenty-odd  years.  In  all  that  time  I  have  never  taken 
a  vacation  of  any  sort.  I  have  for  years  been  intending  to 
do  so,  but  something  always  prevented.  Now  I  have  an 
opportunity  to  put  a  good  man  into  my  place,  and  I  feel 
the  necessity  of  taking  a  rest  of  a  year  or  so.  This  looks 
like  just  the  chance  for  me.  So  you  may  consider  that 
question  settled.  Now,  what  shall  be  our  first  move?" 

"Since  we  are  each  determined  to  take  hold  of  this  ven 
ture,  Doctor,  I  suppose  that  the  first  thing  will  be  to  get 
an  architect  to  figure  on  the  thing,  and  give  us  necessary 
figures  and  data.  And  I  have  just  the  man — Will  Marsh, 
office  on  Main  Street.  He  is  an  extraordinary  fellow,  a 
real  genius,  and  a  gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
Let's  see  him  right  away.  I'm  catching  your  spirit  of  en 
thusiasm,  Doctor,  and  what  does  a  man  amount  to  without 
enthusiasm  in  this  age  of  the  world?" 

"Well,  of  course,  the  enthusiast  is  numbered  with  the 
cranks/'  replied  Dr.  Jones.  "But,  Denison,  the  cranks  are 
the  only  men  who  accomplish  anything  of  note  in  this 
world.  I  have  really  great  respect  for  cranks,  if  they  only 
are  honest  and  not  too  abusive.  So  we  may  as  well  antici 
pate  the  dear  public,  and  enroll  ourselves  among  the 
cranks." 

"All  right,"  returned  Denison,  "  'Sail  on!'  as  Joaquin 
Miller  has  Columbus  say  to  the  faint-hearted  sailing  mas 
ter.  'The  North  Pole  or  bust!'  is  my  motto  now." 

"That's  right,  that's  right,"  grinned  the  Doctor,  amused 
to  see  the  enthusiasm  he  had  aroused  in  his  friend.  "And 
now  let's  to  business.  I  am  ready  to  go  with  you  and  see 
the  architect." 

So  together  they  walked  to  the  office  of  that  gentleman. 
They  found  him  in  and  at  leisure,  and  they  immediately 
opened  their  business  to  him.  The  Doctor  took  the  lead, 
Denison  occasionally  offering  a  suggestion.  Mr.  Marsh 
proved  to  be  a  good  listener,  jotting  down  the  items  as  they 
were  given  him,  and  they  made  excellent  progress.  Evi 
dently  Dr.  Jones  had  studied  the  subject  very  thoroughly, 
for  he  gave  measurements  and  specifications  with  a  readi 
ness  and  accuracy  that  were  surprising. 

"And  now,  Mr.  Marsh,  there  are  doubless  some  import 
ant  points  that  have  not  occurred  to  me,  and  which  you 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  9 

will  discover.  What  we  want  at  present  is  an  approximate 
estimate  of  the  cost,  carrying  and  floating  capacity  of  our 
globe.  I  think  you  have  the  idea  as  nearly  as  we  can  give 
it,  and  please  let  us  know  all  about  it  as  soon  as  possible," 
said  Dr.  Jones  as  they  were  about  to  depart. 

"I  will  do  so,  sir,"  replied  the  architect,  "but  you  under 
stand  that  your  project  is  so  extraordinary — if  I  may  be 
allowed  to  say  so — that  it  will  require  several  days  before 
I  can  give  you  any  definite  information.  I  must  go  to  the 
city  and  ascertain  the  prices  of  material,  etc/' 

"We  understand  that,  Mr.  Marsh;  only  please  do  not 
neglect  to  attend  to  it  immediately." 

With  this  parting  injunction  they  bade  him  good-day 
and  departed,  each  to  his  home. 


10  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Mrs.  Jones  Offers  Some  Objections. 

But  Dr.  Jones  met  great  opposition  in  a  quarter  that 
was  not  so  easily  disposed  of.  He  had  a  wife.  Mrs.  Jones 
was  a  very  intelligent  and  lovely  woman,  younger  by  some 
fifteen  years  than  the  Doctor.  She  must  be  consulted. 
He  broached  the  subject  very  cautiously,  now  and  then  ex 
patiating  upon  the  extreme  ease  and  comfort  with  which 
the  trip  to  the  North  Pole  might  be  made.  He  bought 
histories  of  the  many  Arctic  explorations,  and  read  them 
aloud  to  her.  At  first  she  listened  indifferently ,  not  dream 
ing  for  a  moment  that  the  Doctor  was  burning  with  a  de 
sire  to  become  an  Arctic  explorer.  Day  after  day  he  en 
larged  and  dilated  upon  his  plan.  Denison  often  dropped 
in  of  an  evening,  and  the  conversation  invariably  drifted 
into  the  old  topic,  the  aluminum  globe  and  the  trip  to  the 
North  Pole. 

One  evening  the  architect,  Mr.  Marsh,  with  a  large  paper 
roll  in  his  hand,  came  with  Denison  to  the  Doctor's  resi 
dence.  After  the  usual  greetings  the  Doctor  said,  "Mrs. 
Jones,  I  think  we  will  take  possession  of  the  dining-room, 
as  we  wish  to  use  the  table.  Come  in  with  us,  for  I  am 
sure  that  you  are  greatly  interested  in  the  business  we  have 
on  hand  to-night." 

Mrs.  Jones  good-naturedly  complied,  and  sat  engaged 
with  some  knitting,  while  the  roll  brought  by  the  architect 
was  spread  upon  the  table,  and  weights  laid  upon  its  cor 
ners.  The  two  schemers  gave  a  cry  of  delight  as  a  truly 
magnificent  sketch  of  the  globe  unfolded  before  their  eyes. 
Floating  in  the  firmament,  thousands  of  feet  above  the 
earth,  with  a  panoramic  view  of  forests,  lakes,  rivers, 
mountains  and  hill  elevations,  fruitful  valleys  thickly 
dotted  with  towns,  villages,  farms,  little  specks  that  repre 
sented  houses,  green  fields,  etc.,  fading  away  into  indis 
tinctness  in  the  far  distances  of  the  horizon,  all  done  with 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  11 

such  patient  and  faithful  regard  for  detail  and  artistic 
appreciation  of  color  and  perspective,  that  Mrs.  Jones 
joined  in  the  chorus  of  expressions  of  unqualified  admira 
tion.  It  was  done  in  water  colors,  and  the  enraptured 
Doctor  seized  one  end  of  it  and  cried:  "Take  hold  of  one 
end,  Denison,  and  help  me  hold  it  up  against  the  wall. 
There,  Maggie!  Denison!  Did  you  ever  see  anything  so 
absolutely  beautiful?" 

They  declared  that  they  never  had.  The  artist,  mean 
time,  stood  with  flushed  cheek,  his  arms  folded  across  his 
breast,  modest  and  quiet. 

"Get  tacks  and  a  hammer,  Maggie,  and  we'll  fasten  it  to 
the  wall;  then  we  can  all  sit  and  enjoy  this  glorious  pano 
rama." 

The  painting  was  quickly  tacked  up  in  a  position  for 
inspection,  and  all  sat  admiringly  before  it. 

"By  the  way,  Mr.  Marsh,  you  must  have  done  something 
in  the  line  of  aeronautism,  or  you  never  could  have  made 
that  painting,"  observed  the  Doctor. 

"No,  Doctor,  I  have  never  made  any  balloon  ascensions, 
but  I  have  climbed  many  mountains,  both  in  Europe  and 
America,  and  have  made  numerous  sketches  from  vast  ele 
vations.  I  have  simply  drawn  upon  these  for  my  material, 
and  in  this  painting  you  have  a  blending  of  several  of 
them.  Of  course,  I  have  taxed  my  imagination  to  some 
extent.  The  central  object,  the  globe,  air-ship,  or  what 
ever  you  may  be  pleased  to  call  it,  is  your  own  conception, 
or  my  conception  of  your  idea." 

"Well,  I  am  more  than  pleased  with  your  work.  Your 
execution  has  so  far  transcended  my  idea  that  I  take  no 
credit  at  all  in  this  instance.  But  now  we  must  never  rest 
until  we  have  materialized  this  splendid  conception." 

So  they  sat  admiring  and  chatting  over  the  painting 
some  little  time. 

"Well,  Marsh,  have  you  anything  more  to  show  us  to 
night?"  asked  Denison. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "I  have  some  figures  and  data  that  I 
received  from  the  city  a  day  or  two  since." 

Drawing  their  chairs  about  the  table,  Mr.  Marsh  read 
from  a  small  memorandum-book  estimate  prices  of  mate 
rials,  amount  and  weight  of  same,  cost  of  labor,  and  finally 


12  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

what  he  deemed  to  be  the  approximate  cost  of  the  globe 
complete,  furnished  and  equipped  for  a  one  year's  voyage. 

"I  have  some  suggestions  to  offer,  Doctor.  You  spoke 
of  having  three  skins  or  envelopes  of  aluminum,  with  air 
chambers  between  them  that  would  prevent  the  radiation 
of  heat.  Now,  I  think  that  we  can  do  better  than  that, 
though  without  doubt  your  idea  is  practical  and  would 
answer  the  purpose;  yet  I  have  a  plan  to  offer  that  will  dis 
pense  with  one  envelope,  and  will  more  effectually  con 
serve  heat.  Zinc  is  the  best  nonconductor  of  heat  that  I 
know  of.  One  thin  layer  of  this  metal  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  external  covering  of  aluminum  will  serve  you  a 
much  better  purpose  and  will  greatly  reduce  the  cost  of 
construction/' 

This  suggestion  met  with  the  immediate  approval  of  the 
Doctor  and  Denison.  They  talked  and  planned  until 
quite  a  late  hour.  After  the  departure  of  the  two  men 
Mrs.  Jones  said: 

"Are  you  seriously  thinking  of  going  into  this  wild 
scheme,  Doctor?" 

"Well,  Maggie,  what  do  you  think  of  it?  Don't  you  see 
how  perfectly  feasible  and  beautiful  it  is?" 

"Why,  so  far  as  I  know,  it  may  do  well  enough.  But 
how  can  you  do  anything  with  it,  and  what  good  would  it 
do  you  if  you  could?" 

"My  dear  Maggie!  How  can  you  ask  such  a  question! 
Think  of  the  glory  of  accomplishing  that  which  has  de 
feated  some  of  the  best  and  bravest  men  that  the  world  has 
ever  produced.  And  think  of  the  importance  this  accom 
plishment  might  be  to  science.  Is  the  undying  fame  that 
would  attach  to  such  a  deed  to  be  lightly  esteemed?  Oh, 
my  dear  wife!  you  know  how  steadily  and  conscientiously 
I  have  labored  all  these  years.  More  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  have  I  devoted  to  the  care  of  the  sick,  with  scarce 
ly  a  moment's  recreation.  The  time  has  come  when  I  feel 
that  I  must  take  a  vacation.  Further  than  this,  I  feel  that 
I  can  do  the  world  greater  service  with  my  idea  of  reaching 
the  North  Pole,  besides  settling  a  question  as  to  the  possi 
bility  of  aerial  navigation  for  long  distances.  How  can  I 
better  spend  a  year  or  so  than  in  the  promotion  of  this 
idea?  Be  a  good,  brave  little  wife,  as  you  always  have 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  IS 

been,  and  don't  oppose  me  in  this  thing  upon  which  my 
heart  is  set." 

"And  who  is  to  sail  this  great  balloon,  or  air-ship?" 

"Well,  as  the  Dutch  captain  said  when  the  harbor  in 
spector  asked  'Who  is  the  captain  of  this  ship?'  'I  ish  de 
feller!'  * 

With  these  words  he  assumed  a  melodramatic  attitude. 
But  Mrs.  Jones  was  not  to  be  won  by  any  facetiae,  and 
walked  up  to  him,  placing  her  hands  upon  his  shoulders, 
said:  "Do  you  think  for  one  moment  that  I  will  ever  con 
sent  to  your  going  off  on  so  fearfully  perilous  an  expedi 
tion  as  this?  How  I  should  feel  to  see  you  sail  off  into  the 
blue  sky,  with  an  almost  absolute  certainty  of  never  seeing 
you  again!  I  should  go  insane.  What  would  my  days  and 
nights  be,  even  though  you  went  and  returned  in  all  the 
safety  you  anticipate?  I  should  go  insane  in  less  than  a 
week  with  anxiety.  Do  as  you  please  so  far  as  promoting 
the  construction  of  the  globe  is  concerned,  but  never  will  I 
consent  to  your  going  in  it." 

"Maggie,  "Maggie,  don't  be  so  foolish.  I  do  not  intend 
going  until  I  have  perfectly  satisfied  you  that  I  am  not 
more  safe  in  our  home  than  I  should  be  in  our  great  ship." 

"All  right!"  she  cried.  "You  are  not  to  go,  then,  until 
I  freely  consent." 

"0,  hold  on!"  he  answered.  "Don't  construe  me  so  un 
generously.  I  only  said  that  I  would  first  convince  yon  of 
my  safety." 

"That*you  can  never  do,  and  you  may  as  well  give  it  up. 
It  cannot  be  a  safe  undertaking.  It  makes  me  faint  to 
even  think  of  it.  Just  imagine  yourself  in  that  cabin 
now,"  pointing  to  Marsh's  painting  that  still  hung  upon 
the  wall. 

"I  wish  to  heaven  I  was,"  growled  the  Doctor. 

"I  just  won't  hear  another  word  of  it!"  and  she  flounced 
out  of  the  room  to  bed. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER    IV. 
Mrs.  Jones  Dictates  Terms. 

Several  months  have  passed  since  the  meeting  recorded 
in  our  last  chapter.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  three  men  (for 
Marsh  was  now  a  member  of  the  company)  increased  as  the 
days  went  by.  A  considerable  amount  of  canvassing  had 
been  done  among  the  moneyed  men  of  the  community,  but 
with  no  success.  No  one  could  be  found  who  was  willing 
to  risk  any  considerable  amount  of  wealth  in  an  enterprise 
whose  outcome  was  so  problematical.  Fame  is  all  well 
enough,  but  there  is  very  little  sentiment  about  capital. 

After  many  consultations  by  the  three,  it  was  agreed  that 
nothing  further  could  be  done  at  home,  and  the  next  move 
would  be  a  trip  to  "Washington.  The  idea  of  building  a 
model  was  abandoned,  as  the  beautiful  drawings  and  paint 
ings  of  the  architect  completely  obviated  its  necessity. 

The  Doctor  had  said  but  little  to  Mrs.  Jones  upon  the 
subject  that  lay  nearest  his  heart  since  the  time  recorded 
in  our  last  chapter.  Though  he  went  about  his  profession 
al  duties  as  usual,  yet  that  astute  little  lady  thoroughly 
understood  that  he  was  far  from  laying  aside  this  great  am 
bition  of  his  life.  And  she  also  realized  that  a  crisis  was. 
approaching  when  quick,  sharp  work  must  be  done,  and 
she  had  determined  what  she  should  do. 

The  Doctor,  meantime,  furtively  watched  day  by  day  the 
lovely  face  of  his  wife.  But  he  might  as  well  have  spent 
the  same  time  studying  the  face  of  the  Sphynx.  He  could 
not  decide  whether  she  was  acting  a  part  most  beautifully, 
or  had  dropped  the  matter  as  settled.  It  cost  her  a  great 
struggle  to  keep  from  smiling  as  she  looked  into  his 
troubled  eyes,  and  at  times  would  be  obliged  to  put  her 
handkerchief  to  her  mouth  to  keep  back  the  smiles  that 
dimpled  about  its  corners.  She  knew  that  the  crisis  was 
at  hand,  and  so  persevered  in  her  part ;  and,  better  than  all, 
she  knew  that  she  should  come  off  victor. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  15 

All  things  were  ripe  for  the  assault  upon  the  Govern 
ment  board  of  science. 

"Meet  at  my  house  to-night,  gentlemen/'  said  the 
Doctor.  "My  arrangements  are  all  made,  and  I  could  start 
to-morrow  morning  if  my  wife  would  consent.  I  feel  more 
concerned  about  getting  her  acquiescence  than  I  do  about 
getting  the  Government  interested.  I  really  fear  that  she 
is  like  Sambo's  mule:  'When  he  so  quiet  an'  still  like,  yo' 
look  out!  He  templatin'  trouble  den,  shuah!'  There's 
something  up,  and  I  must  have  it  out  with  her  to-night; 
and  I  want  you  to  stand  in  and  say  all  you  can  to  help  me 
out.  We  must  convince  her  that  there  is  not  nearly  so 
much  danger  in  our  globe  as  there  is  aboard  a  train  of  cars 
or  a  steamship." 

So  that  evening  in  the  dining-room,  and  upon  the  same 
table,  Marsh  spread  the  drawings  and  specifications  that 
represented  the  smallest  detail  connected  with  the  con 
struction  of  the  globe.  Mrs.  Jones  entered  into  the  con 
versation,  made  suggestions  as  to  the  furnishing  of  food, 
bedding,  furniture,  etc.,  until  the  three  men  winked  and 
grinned  slyly  at  one  another,  delighted  to  see  the  interest 
she  displayed. 

"Now,  Maggie,  I  am  sure  that  you  cannot  see  any  ele 
ment  of  danger  in  this  trip,"  said  the  Doctor,  fixing  his 
eyes  upon  her  very  anxiously.  To  his  surprise  and  delight 
she  unhesitatingly  said: 

"No,  I  do  not  see  why  it  should  be  at  all  dangerous." 

"That's  my  brave  little  wife!"  shouted  Dr.  Jones,  catch 
ing  her  in  his  arms  and  kissing  her  upon  both  cheeks. 
"What  an  old  lunkhead  I  have  been  all  this  time!  Why, 
Maggie,  do  you  know  that  I  have  been  terribly  worried  lest 
you  should  prove  foolish  and  obstinate  and  would  do  all 
you  could  to  prevent  my  going?" 

"I  knew  it  all  the  time,"  she  replied. 

"Just  listen  to  the  demure  little  sinner!  Knew  that  I 
was  worrying  all  this  time  and  never  let  me  see  that  she 
understood  me  at  all!  What  a  little  hypocrite  you  are! 
But  I  forgive  you,  since  you  are  so  reasonable." 

"But  my  dear  hubby,  do  not  jump  at  conclusions.  There 
is  a  condition  connected  with  my  consent." 

"And  it  is  granted  now,  my  dear.     What  is  it?" 

"Oh,  it  is  a  real  easy  one!" 


16  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"I  am  sure  of  that,  dear  Maggie,  for  you  are  the  most 
reasonable  woman  alive.  Isn't  she,  gentlemen?" 

Of  course  the  conspirators  loudly  assented. 

"That  is  very  nice  of  you,  gentlemen,"  said  she,  bowing 
gracefully  to  them,  "but  I  know  about  how  much  allow 
ance  to  make  for  'soft  soap'  in  this  case." 

"But  what  is  the  condition,  Maggie?"  asked  Dr.  Jones. 

"I  go  with  you." 

"To  Washington?     Certainly  you  shall,  honey." 

"I  go  with  you  in  the  globe,  to  the  North  Pole,  or  any 
other  place  the  wind  may  blow  us." 

"You— what!" 

"I  have  said  it." 

The  Doctor  dropped  into  a  chair  with  a  groan.  "I  knew 
it!  I  knew  she  meant  mischief  all  the  time." 

"But  my  dear  woman,"  cried  he,  jumping  from  his  chair 
again,  "don't  you  see  the  utter  impossibility  of  your  going 
on  so  hard  and  perilous  a  voyage?  You  could  never  en 
dure  it  in  the  world." 

"Hardships  and  perils,  indeed!"  said  she  mischievously. 
"Haven't  you  said  over  and  over  in  my  presence  that  this 
was  simply  a  beautiful  picnic  trip  and  perfectly  safe?" 

"Well — er — er,"  stammered  the  Doctor,  "but,  Maggie,  it 
would  be  no  place  for  a  woman,  you  know." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  I  do  not  know  anything 
of  the  kind.  Do  you  suppose  that  I  have  sat  here  all  these 
months  listening  to  you  men  talk  of  this  scheme  without 
becoming  a  convert  to  your  theories?  No,  Doctor,  I  am 
as  enthusiastic  as  any  of  you  in  this  matter.  The  North  ' 
Pole  fever  is  like  the  measles,  very  contagious,  and  I  have 
a  severe  attack  of  it.  Now  you  have  all  agreed  that  I  am  1 
the  most  reasonable  woman  living,  and  you  cannot  accuse 
me  of  being  unreasonable  simply  because  I  wish  to  go  with 
you  on  this  safe,  comfortable  and  perfectly  beautiful  picnic 
excursion." 

This  turn  of  affairs  was  so  complete  a  surprise  to  the 
three  men  that  they  sat  silent  with  consternation  for  a  few 
moments. 

"Come  to  think  of  it,  gentlemen,  I  am  pleased  for  one 
that  Mrs.  Jones  wishes  to  accompany  us.  Why  should  she 
not?"  said  Marsh. 


DK.  JOKES'  PICNIC.  17 

Mrs.  Jones  beamed  upon  him  so  warmly  that  he  blushed 
to  his  ears. 

"One  vote  for  me,"  she  gayly  exclaimed.  "Now,  Mr. 
Denison,  on  the  score  of  old  friendship,  I  claim  your  fran 
chise.'' 

"And  you  have  it,  my  dear  madam/'  cried  Denison. 
"Yours  for  the  North  Pole,  Mrs.  Jones." 

She  gave  a  hand  to  each  of  her  coadjutors,  and  turning 
to  Dr.  Jones,  said:  "Don't  you  see  what  a  splendid  lobby 
ist  I  am,  Doctor?  You  will  need  me  when  you  get  to 
Washington." 

The  Doctor's  face  was  a  study.  At  length  he  said:  "Wo 
man  is  the  most  unaccountable  creature  in  the  universe, 
expected  to-night  to  have  made  the  plea  of  my  life,  and  I 
declare  for  it,  if  she  hasn't  turned  the  tables  completely 
upon  me,  and  actually  stands  there  imploring  to  go  with 
us,  instead  of  going  into  hysterics  and  making  no  end  of 
opposition.  Well,  honey/'  putting  his  arm  about  her 
waist,  "I  took  you  for  better  or  worse,  but  I  did  not  expect 
to  take  you  to  the  North  Pole.  I  yield  to  the  inevitable, 
gentlemen.  Allow  me  to  introduce  you  to  No.  4,  North 
Pole  Aluminum  Globe  Co." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  V. 
The  Government  Joins  the  Picnickers. 

Not  many  days  later  found  our  friends  comfortably  lo 
cated  in  a  hotel  in  the  national  capital.  The  Doctor  was 
quite  well  acquainted  with  the  representative  from  his  con 
gressional  district,  and  was  supplied  with  letters  of  intro 
duction  from  influential  parties  to  members  of  both  houses. 
By  a  judicious  use  of  these,  they  managed  to  obtain  a  hear 
ing  before  the  scientific  and  geographical  departments  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institute.  So  thoroughly  had  Dr.  Jones 
and  Mr.  Marsh  mastered  the  details  of  the  subject  that 
they  immediately  made  a  favorable  impression  upon  that 
learned  body.  After  some  weeks  spent  in  investigation, 
they  unanimously  voted  in  favor  of  the  project,  and  recom 
mended  that  Congress  grant  appropriations  for  that  pur 
pose. 

After  a  certain  amount  of  lobbying  (in  which,  I  am  glad 
to  say,  No.  4's  services  were  not  required),  an  amount  in 
accordance  with  the  architect's  estimates  was  passed  by 
both  houses,  and  duly  signed  by  the  President.  Nothing 
could  exceed  the  joy  and  satisfaction  of  the  four  friends. 
They  now  hurried  to  their  homes  and  made  arrangements 
for  permanently  moving  to  Washington.  A  few  weeks 
later,  we  find  them  settled  in  a  pleasant  home  in  the  cap 
ital,  "a  busy  lot  of  happy  cranks,"  as  Mrs.  Jones  expressed 
it. 

The  building  contract  was  awarded  a  Washington 
company,  whose  foundries  and  shops  are  located  upon  the 
Potomac,  adjacent  to  the  city.  The  work  is  being  done 
under  the  general  supervision  of  Marsh  and  the  three 
friends.  It  is  not  long  before  the  vast  scaffolding  that  is 
built  up  as  the  long,  slender,  silver-like  ribs  of  the  alum 
inum  framework  are  put  in  place,  begins  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  surrounding  populace.  And  well  it  might, 
for  as  the  beautiful  globe  began  to  assume  shape,  certainly 
nothing  so  colossal  of  the  kind  had  ever  been  seen  before 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  19 

upon  earth.  And  as  one  stepped  inside  the  mighty  ball 
and  looked  up  through  the  vast  network  of  aluminum  rods 
and  braces  that  ran  in  every  conceivable  direction,  looking 
like  silken  threads  in  the  great  distances  above,  the  feeling 
inspired  was  one  of  awe  and  unbounded  admiration. 

The  work  was  pushed  forward  with  all  possible  expedi 
tion.  The  summer  passed  rapidly  away.  As  winter  drew 
near,  a  vast  roof  was  built  over  the  globe,  and  all  was  se 
curely  shut  in  from  the  inclemencies  of  that  inhospitable 
season.  All  winter  the  hundreds  of  hammers,  busily  rivet 
ed  the  sheets  of  aluminum  and  zinc  into  place,  and  by 
spring  the  globe,  the  splendid  creation  that  had  existed  in 
the  brain  of  Dr.  Jones,  was  an  actuality.  Language  is 
inadequate  to  describe  the  sensations  of  the  little  company 
of  promoters.  They  said  but  little,  but  would  often  stand 
in  a  group,  gaze  upon  it,  then  into  each  other's  eyes,  and 
smile  and  wag  their  delighted  heads. 

The  newspapers  were  not  slow,  meantime,  in  keeping 
the  public  informed  of  all  that  could  be  learned  of  the 
unique  enterprise.  Reporters  beseiged  the  projectors,  in 
season  and  out.  Our  friends  freely  gave  them  all  possi 
ble  information,  and  no  little  interest  was  excited  all 
over  our  great  land.  People  came  from  every  quarter  of 
the  Union,  many  from  Europe  to  see  the  mighty,  glisten- 
ing  sphere.  The  crowds  were  so  vast  that  work  was  im 
peded,  and  it  became  necessary  to  restrict  admission.  A 
nominal  entrance  fee  was  charged,  but  that  only  seemed 
to  stimulate  the  eager  sightseers.  So  the  public  were,  of 
necessity,  finally  entirely  excluded. 

Then  the  roof  of  the  building  was  removed,  and  the 
whole  structure  gradually,  except  so  much  of  it  as  was  ab 
solutely  necessary  to  maintain  the  globe  in  position. 

The  cabin  was  attached  to  the  bottom  of  the  globe,  forty 
feet  square,  with  ten  feet  between  the  floor  and  ceiling.  It 
was  divided  off  into  several  bedrooms,  sitting  and  dining- 
rooms,  kitchen,  smoking-room,  store-rooms,  oil  tanks,  etc. 
In  the  center  was  a  room,  fifteen  feet  square,  that  was 
called  the  engine-room.  Everything  that  could  be  thought 
of  that  could  add  to  comfort  had  been  supplied,  always 
with  reference  to  compactness  and  weight.  Not  an  ounce 
of  superfluous  weight  would  the  architect  allow.  He  had 
calculated  very  carefully  and  knew  to  a  pound,  almost, 


20  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

just  what  his  great  ship  would  carry,  and  how  much  fuel 
would  keep  her  afloat  a  certain  number  of  hours.  But  the 
thing  that  aroused  the  admiration  of  the  public  was  the 
aluminum  shaft  that  passed  from  the  floor  of  the  cabin 
straight  up  through  the  center  of  the  globe,  and  extended 
on  above  it  full  ninety  feet.  And  from  this  dizzy  height, 
floated  "Old  Glory,"  constructed  of  fine  wire  of  that  same 
beautiful,  evershining  metal,  aluminum.  Round  and  round 
this  splendid  shaft,  up  through  the  globe,  wound  a  delicate 
stairway.  From  its  top  stair,  one  stepped  out  into  a  small 
observatory,  well  supplied  with  windows  upon  its  four 
sides.  The  stairway  was  protected  from  the  hot  air  of  the 
interior  of  the  globe  by  a  zinc  coating,  so  that  the  mast  and 
stairway  really  passed  up  through  the  center  of  a  zinc  tube 
standing  on  end,  and  about  six  feet  in  diameter. 

Already  it  is  an  inspiring  sight  to  stand  in  the  observa 
tory,  situated  exactly  upon  the  top  of  the  sphere,  and  look 
away  into  the  surrounding  country,  up  and  down  the  Po 
tomac,  and  over  the  lovely  capital  city.  But  what  will  it  be 
when  suspended  in  the  air,  thousands  of  feet  above  terra 
firma? 

"Do  you  feel  no  fear,  Maggie?"  asked  the  Doctor,  as  they 
stood  with  Marsh  and  Denison  and  looked  from  this  great 
height. 

"Not  the  slightest  tremor,"  she  replied,  and  she  looked  so 
brightly  and  bravely  into  their  faces  that  Denison  said:  "I 
really  believe,  Doctor,  that  she  will  prove  to  be  the  best 
sailor  of  the  lot." 

"I  wish  we  had  a  female  companion  for  you,  Maggie.  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  advertise  for  one/'  said  Dr.  Jones. 

"I  beg  you  to  do  no  such  thing.  She  will  be  sure  to  be 
finical,  cowardly,  or  disagreeable  in  some  way.  And  then 
such  a  host  of  all  sorts  of  creatures  as  would  reply  to  your 
advertisement.  We  shall  do  very  well  without  her,"  replied 
Mrs.  Jones. 

"But  I  am  sure  it  would  be  much  pleasanter  for  you, 
Maggie.  Don't  you  know  of  a  female  acquaintance  that 
you  would  like  to  have  accompany  you?"  persisted  Dr. 
.Tones. 

"Well,  let  me  think.  If  Mattie  Bronson  could  go,  it 
would  afford  me  the  greatest  pleasure." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  21 

"The  very  thing!"  declared  the  Doctor  in  his  usual  em 
phatic  way.  "Mattie  is  a  lovely,  brave,  all-around  nice 
girl.  Let  it  be  Mattie,  by  all  means." 

Denison  and  Marsh  expressed  their  entire  satisfaction 
with  this  arrangement. 

"I  will  write  her  immediately  to  come  and  visit  us,  and 
then  I  am  sure  that  we  can  prevail  upon  her  to  go  with 
us,"  said  Mrs.  Jones. 

They  then  descended  the  long,  slender  stairway,  and  re 
turned  to  their  home. 


22  -DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Off  on  a  Shoreless  Sea. 

About  the  middle  of  April  appeared  the  following  in  one 
of  the  leading  papers: 

"Last  night  our  citizens,  and  a  tremendous  overflow  of 
visitors  were  treated  to  the  most  magnificent  sight  their 
eyes  ever  beheld.  The  great  aluminum  globe,  about  which 
all  the  world  has  been  agog  for  so  long,  arose  and  stood  for 
three  hours  above  the  city,  some  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 
The  whole  mighty  sphere  was  ablaze  with  myriads  of  elec 
tric  lights,  from  the  ball  of  the  tapering  flagstaff  to  the 
beautiful  cabin  below.  As  it  hung  suspended  above  the 
city,  connected  with  the  earth  by  but  a  slender  aluminum 
chain  that  looked  like  a  thread  of  silver  piercing  the  skies, 
a  great  hush  fell  upon  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  gazers 
below.  All  Nature  seemed  auspicious  to  the  occasion. 
Scarcely  a  zephyr  was  stirring,  and  the  stars  shone  brightly 
down  upon  the  scene  from  cloudless  skies.  One  hundred 
people,  consisting  of  the  President  and  cabinet,  senators, 
congressmen,  editors,  scientific  and  literary  men  and  wo 
men,  were  the  favored  party  who  occupied  the  gigantic 
ship. 

Suddenly  there  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  waiting  multitude 
the  glorious  soprano  voice  of  Mrs.  Jones.  So  far  above, 
yet  so  thrillingly  sweet  and  distinct,  one  could  scarcely  re 
frain  from  imagining  that  the  Pearly  Gates  had  opened, 
and  we  were  listening  to  the  voice  of  one  of  the  Redeemed. 
But  that  illusion  was  soon  dispelled,  and  we  recognized 
the  familiar  strains  of  "Star  Spangled  Banner."  And  when 
the  whole  hundred  voices  swelled  the  splendid  chorus,  a 
great  shout  arose  from  the  multitude  like  the  sound  of 
many  waters,  beginning  directly  beneath  the  globe,  and 
spreading  away  in  every  direction  like  billows  from  a  great 
rock,  dropped  into  the  center  of  a  quiet  lake. 

"And  so,  under  the  the  direction  of  Professor  Marsh, 
brother  of  the  architect  of  the  globe,  a  beautiful  and  appro- 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  23 

priate  musical  program  was  rendered,  lasting  nearly  an 
hour. 

"We  venture  the  assertion  that  no  performance  was  ever 
rendered  to  so  great  an  audience,  and  certainly  not  to  one 
more  appreciative.  And  we  predict  that  there  will 
be  a  great  demand  tor  liniments  and  plasters  for  some 
weeks  to  come.  For  standing  two  hours  or  more  with  the 
back  of  one's  head  resting  upon  the  cervical  portion  of 
one's  spinal  column,  and  screaming  at  the  top  of  one's 
lungs  a  good  portion  of  the  time,  with  eyes  unblinkingly 
and  unwinkingly  set  upon  the  inconceivably  splendid 
globe,  all  this  we  assert  to  be  highly  conducive  to  stiff  neck 
and  sore  throat.  And  it  is  a  question  whether  many  of  that 
innumerable,  entranced  audience  will  be  able  to  keep  their 
hearts  and  minds  upon  things  terrestrial  for  a  considerable 
time  to  come.  From  the  bottom  of  our  hearts,  we  commis 
erate  every  member  of  the  race  who  missed  the  sights  and 
sounds  of  last  evening. 

"All  arrangements  are  now  completed,  and  day  after  to 
morrow,  weather  favorable,  Dr.  Jones  and  party  expect  to 
sail  at  the  hour  of  noon,  away  for  the  North  Pole.  Noth 
ing  has  been  omitted  that  could  insure  the  success  of  the 
expedition,  and  we  feel  confident  of  all  that  could  be  hoped 
for,  or  desired  by  the  enterprising  Doctor  and  friends." 

The  hour  set  for  sailing  had  arrived.  The  day  was  beauti 
ful,  and  a  moderate  breeze  was  blowing  toward  northwest. 
With  proud,  happy  hearts  the  party  of  navigators  stood 
upon  the  balcony  that  ran  about  the  four  sides  of  the  cabin. 
This  balcony  was  one  of  the  chief  embellishments  and  con 
veniences  of  the  cabin.  It  was  five  feet  wide,  and  extended, 
as  before  said,  about  the  four  sides  of  the  cabin.  A  balus 
trade  four  feet  high  was  built  along  its  outer  edge.  A  more 
exhilarating  promenade  could  not  be  conceived,  and  right 
well  did  our  friends  enjoy  it  during  the  notable  voyage 
which  we  are  about  to  record. 

The  party  consisted  of  Professor  J.  Q.  Gray,  the  scientific 
representative  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute;  Miss  Mattie 
Bronson;  Professor  Fred  Marsh;  our  four  friends  with 
whom  the  reader  is  acquainted;  and  last,  but  not  least,  so 
far  as  bodily  comforts  were  concerned,  Ah  Sing,  the  cook. 

As  the  globe  arose  slowly  to  the  length  of  its  cable,  five 
hundred  feet,  it  seemed  to  the  little  company  upon  the  bal- 


24  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

cony  as  if  the  universe  had  assembled  to  see  them  off.  On 
the  streets,  public  squares,  house-tops,  decks  of  all  ships 
upon  the  river,  were  crowds  on  crowds  of  people;  people 
anywhere,  everywhere;  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  was  one 
vast,  countless  host.  What  wonder  that  the  heart  of  the 
Doctor  swelled  and  quickened  as  he  looked  upon  the  ocean 
of  upturned  faces  below,  and  realized  that  from  his  fertile 
brain  had  sprung  the  mighty  object  of  all  this  attention. 
How  it  pulled  and  surged  at  its  silver-like  cable,  as  if  it 
were  a  thing  of  life,  and  desired  to  be  away  toward  its  des 
tination,  the  North  Pole! 

The  hour  of  noon  was  announced  by  hundreds  of  bells 
and  whistles.  The  Doctor  waved  a  flag  over  the  balustrade, 
the  anchor  was  cut  loose  from  its  fastenings,  and  away 
bounded  the  colossal  sphere  toward  the  ethereal  blue.  Up 
ward  and  still  up  it  arose  to  the  height  of  three  thousand 
feet,  trending  slowly  toward  the  northwest. 

The  voices  of  the  multitude  sounded  like  the  roar  of  the 
sea,  and  as  it  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  the  stout-hearted 
little  party  realized  that  they  were  effectually  cut  off  from 
the  world—off  on  a  limitless  sea,  alone  with  God. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  25 


CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Gunpowder  Tea-party. 

Nothing  could  be  completer  nor  dantier  than  the  cabin 
and  its  furnishings,  divisions,  and  subdivisions.  The  rooms 
of  necessity  were  small,  but  sufficiently  large  for  conve 
nience  and  comfort.  A  choice  selection  of  best  authors 
had  been  added  by  the  Doctor.  Mr.  Will  Marsh,  the  archi 
tect,  had  not  forgotten  a  painting,  sketching,  and  photo 
graphing  outfit.  Professor  Fred  Marsh  had  brought  a  good 
supply  of  vocal  and  instrumental  music,  and  a  small  alum 
inum  organ  of  exquisite  tone  and  splendid  volume.  Pro 
fessor  Gray,  as  a  matter  of  course,  was  abundantly  supplied 
with  books,  charts,  instruments,  etc.  The  ladies  did  not 
forget  to  bring  knitting,  crochet,  and  sewing  work  with 
them.  "For  we  cannot  be  continually  craning  our  necks 
out  of  our  little  nest,  sightseeing,"  said  Mrs.  Jones. 

"And  then  I  suppose  that  we  shall  be  above  the  clouds  a 
good  share  of  the  time,  with  nothing  but  a  fog  bank  to 
look  at,"  added  Mattie. 

Dr.  Jones  carried  a  plentiful  supply  of  drugs  and  instru 
ments.  "I  have  not  given  up  practice/'  said  he.  "There 
is  no  telling  how  many  patients  I  may  encounter  outside  of 
our  little  crowd,  before  we  return." 

But  we  cannot  stop  to  enumerate  all  the  conveniences 
and  appurtenances  of  the  wonderful  sky-ship,  now  hasten 
ing  toward  its  destination.  More  of  that  later  on. 

Washington  and  its  crowds  of  excited  people  were  fast 
disappearing  in  the  distance.  To  say  that  no  fear  was  ex 
perienced  upon  the  part  of  any  of  the  company  would  not 
be  strictly  true.  The  ladies  were  pale  and  silent,  and  stood 
with  their  arms  about  each  other.  Very  little  was  said  by 
any  one,  for  the  sensation  of  skimming  through  the  air  at 
the  rate  of  more  than  twenty  miles  an  hour  at  this  eleva 
tion  was  too  novel  and  thrilling  to  admit  of  conversation. 
All  experienced  more  or  less  of  vertigo  and  nausea,  but  the 
Doctor  promptly  controlled  these  disagreeable  symptoms 


26  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

with  medicines  from  his  case.  All  stood  at  their  post  for 
something  near  an  hour,  Sing  excepted.  He  was  rattling 
about  among  his  pots,  pans,  and  kettles  as  unconcernedly 
as  if  in  the  best  appointed  kitchen  in  Washington.  Finally 
a  general  conversation  was  entered  into  as  the  first  qualms 
of  fear  and  sickness  began  to  wear  off. 

"I  am  delighted  with  the  performance  of  our  ship/'  said 
Will.  (We  shall  take  the  liberty  of  using  fhe  given  names 
of  the  two  brothers  hereafter,  Will  and  Fred.) 

"Yes,"  returned  the  Doctor,  "how  easily  and  smoothly 
we  are  going.  When  one  looks  inside,  it  is  hard  to  realize 
that  we  are  flying  at  the  rate  of  nearly  thirty  miles  an  hour 
through  the  air,  three  thousand  feet  above  the  earth." 

"And  notice  how  steadily  we  are  moving.  Not  a  tremor 
nor  movement  of  any  sort  appreciable.  How  decidedly  su 
perior  to  car  or  steamboat  traveling.  Here  we  have  no  jar, 
noise,  nor  dust,"  continued  Will. 

"Nor  any  kind  of  danger  of  shipwreck  or  collision,"  add 
ed  Professor  Gray. 

"Well,  Fm  sure  that  we  are  a  peculiarly  favored  lot  of 
travelers,"  said  Fred,  tu-ning  to  the  organ  and  playing 
"Away  with  Melancholy,"  with  great  spirit. 

"How  does  the  temperature  in  the  globe  keep  up?"  asked 
the  Professor  of  Will. 

"I  am  astonished,  Professor,"  he  replied,  "it  has  scarcely 
varied  a  degree  since  starting,  now  two  hours,  and  we  are 
burning  no  fuel  at  all  at  present." 

"That  is  truly  wonderful,"  enswered  the  Professor.  "At 
this  rate  we  are  not  likely  to  run  out  of  fuel." 

"No,"  said  Will,  "we  are  safe  on  that  score." 

The  Doctor  and  Will  now  ascended  to  the  observatory. 
Professor  Gray  and  Denison  sat  beside  the  ladies  upon  the 
balcony.  Each  was  studying  the  topography  of  the  country 
with  the  aid  of  their  field  glasses. 

"See  the  people  everywhere  and  all  waving  tKeir  hand 
kerchiefs  at  us,"  exclaimed  Mattie. 

"How  distinctly  we  can  see  their  white  upturned  faces, 
and  how  they  do  shout,"  remarked  Mrs.  Jones. 

"I  can  see  photographers  catching  snap  shots  at  us,"  said 
Denison. 

"I  dare  say  that  the  telegraph  and  telephone  wires  are 
being  kept  busy  over  us,"  paid  Fred,  who  had  just  joined 
the  group. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  27 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it,"  answered  the  Professor,  "not  only 
in  America,  but  all  over  Christendom." 

Dr.  Jones  and  Will  now  returned  from  their  aerie,  the 
observatory. 

"Whew!"  exclaimed  the  Doctor;  "if  that  isn't  exercise  for 
you!" 

"What  is  the  temperature  now?"  asked  the  Professor. 

"One  hundred  and  thirty  degrees,"  replied  Will.  "It  has 
cooled  off  a  few  degrees." ' 

"Yes,  we  have  descended  to  the  twenty-five  hundred  foot 
level,"  remarked  the  Professor,  after  consulting  the  barom 
eter. 

"She  will  skim  along  many  hours  before  we  need  to  fire 
up,"  returned  Will. 

"And  how  is  the  view  from  the  observatory?"  inquired 
Denison  of  the  Doctor. 

"That  is  the  sight  of  a  lifetime,"  cried  Dr.  Jones.  "Lan 
guage  is  utterly  inadequate  to  describe  it.  With  the  vast, 
unobstructed  view  on  all  sides,  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
the  great  glistening  rotund  sides  of  the  globe  rolling  away 
from  beneath  your  feet,  giving  one  a  sensation  as  if  about 
to  slide  off  into  the  awful  chasm  below,  I  assure  you  that 
it  is  something  fearful.  But  I  cast  my  eye  up  the  shining 
mast  and  saw  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  there  so  calmly 
and  serenely,  and  I  remembered  our  glorious  mission,  and 
instantly  I  felt  the  Everlasting  Arms  about  me.  I  realized 
as  never  before  in  my  life,  the  utter  littleness  of  man,  and 
the  almightiness  of  God.  Here,  floating  thousands  of  feet 
above  the  earth,  we  can  rest  just  as  implicitly  on  His  prom 
ises  as  we  ever  did  in  our  lives." 

These  words  were  said  by  the  Doctor  with  so  much  ear 
nestness  and  solemnity  that  a  hush  fell  upon  the  company 
for  a  few  moments.  Then  Mrs.  Jones  sat  at  the  organ  and 
began  singing  in  a  low,  sweet  voice,  Kelso  Carter's  splendid 
hymn: 

"Standing  on  the  promises  of  Christ  my  King, 
Through  eternal  ages  let  his  praises  ring; 
Glory  in  the  highest,  I  can  shout  and  sing, 
Standing  on  the  promises  of  God." 

Every  one  of  the  seven  were  trained  vocalists,  and,  very 
happily  for  the  pleasure  of  the  company,  the  four  parts 
were  so  nicely  balanced  that  their  voices  blended  in  sweet- 


•28  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

est  harmony.  The  Doctor  and  Will  and  Denison  sang  bass; 
Fred  and  Professor  Gray  tenor,  Mattie  alto,  and  Mrs.  Jones 
soprano.  Mattie  possessed  an  exceedingly  rich  contralto, 
while  Mrs.  Jones'  soprano  was  strong,  sweet,  and  clear  as  a 
bird's.  They  all  joined  in  the  chorus,  and  when  the  hymn 
was  finished,  Ah  Sing,  who  stood  in  the  doorway  with  his 
white  cap  and  apron  on,  encored  loudly. 

"Velly  good.    Me  heap  likee,"  was  his  verdict. 

"It  takes  the  'Children  of  the  Skies'  to  sing  that  hymn!" 
•cried  Denison. 

"Hear!  Hear!"  said  Mrs.  Jones,  clapping  her  hands. 
"Isn't  that  poetic  and  appropriate?  The  Children  of  the 
•Skies!  That  was  an  inspiration  on  your  part,  Mr.  Denison." 

Several  more  pieces  were  sung,  and  the  newness  of  their 
position  began  to  wear  off  toward  evening.  After  this  the 
rooms  were  assigned  to  each  by  the  Doctor,  who  was  by 
common  consent,  recognized  as  captain  of  the  ship.  Him 
self  and  wife  occupied  the  largest  of  the  sleeping  apart 
ments,  a  beautiful  bedroom,  twelve  feet  square.  How  pure, 
sweet,  and  clean  they  all  were!  The  ceilings,  walls,  floors, 
and  furniture,  all  of  that  marvelous  metal,  aluminum, 
Rugs  laid  about  as  required  were  the  only  covering  upon 
the  floors.  At  six  o'clock,  Sing  announced  dinner.  As 
they  repaired  to  the  dining-room  and  sat  in  the  dainty 
aluminum  chairs  about  the  aluminum  table,  set  with  a  com 
plete  service  of  the  same  metal,  they  could  not  repress  their 
-expressions  of  delight.  They  sat  with  bowed  heads  while 
Dr.  Jones  invoked  the  Divine  blessing  upon  the  food  of 
which  they  were  about  to  partake,  and  asked  His  special 
protection  and  care  during  the  unknown  perils  before 
them.  As  the  meal  progressed,  they  grew  quite  talkative 
•and  merry. 

"This  is  high  living  in  more  senses  than  one,"  remarked 
Fred  as  he  finished  a  plate  of  soup. 

"Yes,"  returned  Mrs.  Jones,  "we  have  picked  up  a  jewel 
of  a  cook." 

"How  are  you  getting  along,  girls?"  cried  the  genial  Doc 
tor,  from  the  lower  end  of  the  table  where  he  sat  carving 
the  meat. 

"Just  splendidly,  Doctor,"  replied  Mattie,  gaily.  "Your 
picnic  is  turning  out  to  be  a  grander  success  than  you  ever 
£ould  have  dreamed  of." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  29 

"I  don't  know/'  he  returned  as  his  eye  swept  about  the 
room  and  out  of  the  window.  "I  had  my  ideas  up  pretty 
high,  but  I  must  admit  that  this  rather  exceeds  my  high 
est  nights  of  imagination." 

"My  ideal  of  pleasure,  so  far  as  eating  goes,  used  to  be 
that  of  sitting  in  a  Pullman  dining-car,  flying  at  the  rate  of 
forty  miles  an  hour  or  more.  I  have  spent  an  hour  at  such 
a  table  more  than  once,  looking  out  of  the  great  windows  as 
I  ate,  and  thought  I  knew  all  about  it.  But  ah!  I  had 
never  dined  with  the  'Children  of  the  Skies/  "  said  Will. 

And  so  they  pleasantly  chatted  through  the  meal.  Mrs. 
Jones,  who  sat  at  the  other  end  of  the  table,  poured  the 
tea. 

"It  may  be  imagination,  but  everything  seems  to  taste 
better  than  common  aboard  this  ship/'  said  Professor  Gray. 
"Now,  this  tea  is  remarkably  fragrant  and  delicious.  It  is 
a  beverage  that  I  do  not  as  a  rule  care  much  for.  What 
particular  variety  of  tea  is  it?" 

"It  is  the  very  best  quality  of  Ceylon.  I  have  forbidden 
the  use  of  any  other  kind  by  my  patients.  The  Ceylon  tea 
possesses  little  or  no  tannic  acid,  and  is  not  nearly  so  dele 
terious  to  weak  stomachs  as  other  varieties.  Speaking  of 
teas,  I  suppose  that  you  have  all  heard  of  one  brand  of 
tea  called  'Gunpowder/  I  could  tell  you  a  very  good  story 
about  Gunpowder  tea  if  you  wish  to  hear  it." 

A  general  desire  being  expressed  to  hear  it,  the  Doctor  be 
gan: 

"My  maternal  grandfather  left  New  York  state  and 
moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1830.  Cleve 
land  at  that  time  was  a  small,  unimportant  lakeport  and 
my  grandfather  was  offered  his  choice  between  a  tract  of 
land  upon  what  is  now  the  most  beautiful  residence  street 
in  the  world,  Euclid  Avenue,  and  a  piece  at  what  was  called 
Brighton,  several  miles  farther  from  town.  It  speaks  but 
little  for  the  old  gentleman's  foresight,  but  he  chose  the 
latter,  and  so  remained  a  comparatively  poor  man  all  his 
life,  instead  of  becoming  a  millionaire.  But,  by  dint  of 
hard  work,  grandfather  prospered  as  well  as  his  neighbors, 
and  was  content.  In  course  of  time,  a  hired  man  became 
a  necessary  fixture  upon  the  farm,  and  for  many  years  Pete 
Wiggs,  an  honest,  hardworking  German,  was  grandfather's> 
right-hand  man.  But  Pete,  jewel  of  a  farmhand  though  ha 


30  DR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

was,  possessed  one  serious  flaw:  he  would  have  a  periodical 
spree.  But,  so  considerate  was  he,  that  he  always  chose  a 
time  for  his  sprees  when  'Dere  really  vos  netting  else  to 
do,  Uncle  Ezra/  as  he  assured  my  grandfather  by  way  of 
extenuation.  So  it  became  an  understood  arrangement  that 
Pete  was  to  be  allowed,  and  expected  to  have,  a  'blowout' 
every  spring  and  fall.  One  spring  day,  the  crops  being  all 
in,  Pete  began  making  arrangements  for  one  of  his  semi- 
annuals.  'Now,  Pete/  said  my  grandmother,  'before  you 
get  drunk,  I  want  you  to  be  sure  and  not  forget  to  buy  me 
a  pound  of  the  new  tea  I  have  heard  of.  They  call  it  'Gun 
powder  tea/  Now  attend  to  this  for  me  before  you  get  to 
drinking." 

'All  right,  Aunt  Lois,  so  I  vill/  replied  Pete. 

Four  or  five  days  later,  Pete  returned  as  usual,  semi-in 
toxicated,  and  looking  very  much  the  worse  for  wear. 

'Give  me  dish,  Aunt  Loish,  and  I  gif  you  dot  Gunpowder 
dee.  Paper  proke  in  mine  bocket.' 

So  out  of  his  coat  pocket  he  began  to  fish  great  handfuls 
of  tea  leaves,  and  a  fine,  black,  granular  substance.  Grand 
mother  looked  at  the  strange  mixture  critically,  and  con 
cluded  that  the  reason  the  tea  was  so  called  was  because 
part  of  it  so  much  resembled  gunpowder.  So  she  thanked 
the  thoughtful  Dutchman  most  kindly,  and  set  it  away 
carefully.  A  few  evenings  later  she  invited  a  number  of 
her  neighbors,  old  cronies,  to  drink  Gunpowder  tea  with 
her.  None  of  them  had  ever  seen  the  new  variety  of  tea, 
and  all  were  there,  expecting  a  very  great  treat  indeed. 

It  was  soon  poured  out  and  upon  the  table.  Grand 
mother  noticed  that  its  color  was  black  as  ink,  and  she  felt 
a  thrill  of  anxiety  run  down  her  spinal  column  as  she  pour 
ed  it  into  the  cups.  Aunt  Joanna,  my  grandmother's  sis 
ter,  was  the  oracle  of  the  settlement  on  social  matters,  and 
by  tacit  consent,  all  awaited  until  she  had  first  tasted  the 
new  beverage.  Each  felt  that  a  great  event  was  at  hand, 
and  the  fate  of  Gunpowder  tea  was  about  to  be  settled,  once 
and  forever,  in  that  settlement.  So  Aunt  Joanna,  fully 
alive  to  a  sense  of  her  position  and  responsibility,  with 
great  deliberation  took  a  generous  sip  of  the  candidate  for 
social  favor.  Her  eyes  filled  with  tears;  she  coughed  furi 
ously  behind  her  handkerchief,  and  a  spasm  of  disgust  and 
nausea  went  to  her  very  toes.  Then  she  sat  straight,  grim, 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  31 

and  silent  as  death.  Each  of  the  other  old  ladies  went 
through  about  the  same  motions.  And  now  grandmother, 
who  had  been  puttering  about,  waiting  upon  her  guests, 
noticed  that  something  was  wrong. 

'Well,  Joan,  how  do  you  like  Gunpowder  tea? 

'Taste  it,  Lois,'  was  all  Aunt  Joan  would  condescend  to 
reply.  She  complied,  taking  quite  a  generous  swallow. 

'Oh!  my  stars!'  she  fairly  screamed,  'What  horrible  stuff 
is  this?  Waugh!' 

'Why,  that  is  Gunpowder  tea,  Lois/  said  Aunt  Joan  with 
grim  sarcasm.  'Beautiful,  isn't  it?' 

'There  is  some  awful  mistake  about  this,'  said  grand 
mother.  'I'll  see  that  drunken  Pete  about  it.' 

Pete  was  called  in.  Grandmother  brought  the  box  of  tea 
out  before  him  and  said:  'Pete,  what  is  the  matter  with  this 
tea?  It  has  nearly  poisoned  us  all  to  death.  What  is  this 
black  stuff  mixed  up  with  the  tea?' 

The  Dutchman  looked  at  it  stupidly  for  a  moment,  then 
his  mouth  expanded  from  ear  to  ear,  and  he  roared  with 
laughter.  'Dunder  und  blixen,  Aunt  Loish,  but  dot  vos  a 
goot  choke  on  you.  Dot  vos  Gunpowder  dee  mitout  any 
mishtake,'  and  again  he  howled  with  laughter. 

The  long  and  short  of  the  matter  was,  that  Pete  had 
bought  a  pound  of  tea  and  a  pound  of  gunpowder,  and  had 
put  the  two  packages  into  the  same  pocket  before  getting 
drunk.  During  his  drunken  brawling  and  fighting  the  pa 
pers  had  become  broken,  with  the  result  related." 

The  evening  was  balmy  and  beautiful,  and  they  promen 
aded  about  the  balcony  until  the  shades  of  night  had  set 
in.  The  twinkling  lights  of  the  towns  and  farmhouses  be 
gan  to  appear.  They  were  passing  over  the  mountainous 
region  of  southeastern  Pennsylvania,  and  the  globe  had  as 
cended  to  the  four  thousand  foot  level.  The  wind  had 
shifted  to  nearly  due  west. 

"Where  are  we  now,  Doctor?"  asked  Mattie. 

"We  are  crossing  the  southern  portion  of  Pennsylvania. 
We  are  traveling  nearly  due  west.  I  shall  seek  a  more 
northerly  current  to-morrow  morning  if  this  wind  does  not 
become  more  favorable  by  that  time." 

They  finally  tired  of  walking  and  sat  conversing  until 
nearly  ten  o'clock,  when,  by  general  consent,  they  retired, 
except  Will,  who  remained  up  to  keep  a  lookout,  and  to 
watch  the  barometer  and  thermometer. 


32  I>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

Eelating  how  the  Beautiful  Picnic  Progressed. 

Shortly  before  six  o'clock  all  arose.  The  Doctor  and  his 
wife,  at  her  earnest  solicitation,  ascended  to  the  observa 
tory  to  witness  the  sunrise.  Mattie  had  manifested  symp 
toms  of  vertigo  that  morning  on  first  looking  out,  and  de 
cided  not  to  go  up  with  them.  The  exertion  of  climbing 
that  long  flight  of  stairs  flushed  the  lovely  face  of  Mrs. 
Jones,  and  her  cheeks  were  like  twin  roses  when  they 
reached  the  observatory.  Once  there,  she  was  glad  to  sit  and 
rest.  The  Doctor  opened  the  windows  and  then  sat  beside 
her.  Mrs.  Jones  sat  quiet  and  dumb,  hands  clasped,  look 
ing  out  upon  the  most  glorious  scene  her  eyes  had  ever  be 
held.  The  sun  was  just  peeping  above  the  horizon.  The 
painting  of  the  clouds;  the  variegated  face  of  the  earth; 
the  pure,  balmy  atmosphere;  the  great  globe  beneath  their 
feet;  the  exquisitely  graceful  shaft  that  pierced  the  vault 
nearly  one  hundred  feet  above  their  heads,  bearing  our 
beautiful  symbol  of  liberty;  all  these,  combined  with  the 
inspiration  that  always  attends  looking  out  upon  the  works 
of  God  from  great  elevations,  thrilled  the  souls  of  the  two 
spectators  as  they  had  never  been  before  in  their  lives. 
Thus  they  sat  in  silence  drinking  in  the  beauties  of  the.' 
morning  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Approaching 
steps  upon  the  stairway  broke  the  spell,  and  the  Professor 
and  Fred  stepped  into  the  observatory.  As  they  looked  out 
upon  the  transcendent  loveliness  of  the  scene,  the  Professor 
raised  his  hands  above  his  head  and  cried:  "  'What  is  man, 
that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him,  or  the  son  of  man  that  Thou 
visitest  him?  Thou  hast  made  him  little  lower  than  the 
angels,  and  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor/  You  told 
us  yesterday  that  you  never  felt  so  little  as  when  you  looked 
out  from  this  magnificent  aerie;  but  I  declare  to  you,  Doc 
tor,  that  I  feel  now  that  God  has  made  man  a  wonderful 
being.  As  we  go  thus  sailing  through  these  roseate  skies 
in  this  most  splendid  creation  that  ever  came  from  the 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  33 

hands  of  man,  I  feel  like  crying  with  old  Elisha,  'My  fath 
er!  My  father!  The  chariot  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen 
thereof/  K 

They  sat  a  few  minutes  and  then  descended  to  the  cabin. 
Mattie,  Will,  and  Denison  were  upon  the  balcony,  specu 
lating  as  to  what  city  they  were  rapidly  approaching.  Dr. 
Jones  looked  at  it  through  his  glasses,  and  said:  "That  is 
Columbus,  the  capital  city  of  Ohio.  Those  great  stone 
buildings  you  see  there,  inclosed  by  high  stone  walls,  con 
stitute  the  state  prison.  It  contains  at  present,  I  believe, 
nearly  three  thousand  convicts." 

"The  poor  things!"  said  Mattie.  "Just  think  of  the  con 
trast  between  sailing  so  smoothly  and  easily  as  we  are  do 
ing,  away  above  the  world  with  all  its  cares  and  sorrows, 
and  being  incarcerated  within  those  gloomy  walls,  many 
of  them  for  life.  I  am  sure  that  if  they  could  become  'Chil 
dren  of  the  Skies/  they  would  all  reform  in  a  short  time." 

"No,  no,  Mattie,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "God  did  infinitely 
more  than  that  for  man.  He  placed  him  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  and  he  transgressed  the  only  restrictive  law  laid  upon 
him.  And  he  became  so  vile  that  the  Lord  was  compelled 
to  drown  them  like  so  many  rats.  Beautiful  and  inspiring 
though  our  present  circumstances  and  surroundings  are, 
yet  they  could  never  change  the  hearts  of  the  majority  of 
those  miserable  men." 

Breakfast  was  now  announced  by  Sing.  The  bracing  at 
mosphere  of  this  upper  region  seemed  to  be  very  appetiz 
ing,  for  they  all  ate  heartily. 

The  ship  was  acting  splendidly,  continuing  at  nearly  the 
same  level  of  the  day  before,  and  but  little  fuel  had  been 
burned  during  the  night.  The  wind  had  shifted  to  the 
south,  and  they  were  sailing  twenty  miles  an  hour,  due 
north.  The  Doctor  rubbed  his  hands  gleefully.  "We're 
getting  there  now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  we're  getting 
there  finely.  Nothing  could  be  better." 

The  sweet,  happy  valleys  of  Ohio  were  so  exceedingly 
beautiful;  the  little  towns  appeared  so  pure  and  lovely  to 
the  voyagers;  and  the  people  were  out  in  such  crowds, 
cheering  them  so  lustily,  that  our  friends  could  do  little 
else  than  sit  through  the  day  and  watch  them  through  their 
glasses.  And  numerous  were  the  dispatches  they  wrote  and 


34  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

cast  from  the  balcony.    They  could  see  the  people  rushing 
eagerly  for  them,  as  they  reached  the  earth. 

"I  wish  we  had  a  morning  paper/'  sighed  Fred.  "I  do 
not  doubt  that  we  receive  some  mention  in  it." 

"That  is  about  the  only  thing  I  have  missed  so  far,"  said 
the  Professor.  "But  we  can  well  afford  to  forego  that  lux 
ury  for  what  we  are  now  enjoying." 

"And  I  really  do  wish  we  could  attend  church  Sunday 
mornings,"  said  Mat  tie. 

"Oh!  we  will  have  a  church  service,"  replied  Denison.  "I 
notice  that  the  Doctor  has  brought  with  him  a  book  of  ser 
mons  and  a  Bible.  Then  we  have  an  organ,  and  the  best 
choir  I  ever  heard.  The  Doctor  or  Professor  can  act  as 
parson;  and,  to  make  the  thing  realistic  and  homelike,  I 
will  pass  the  contribution  box." 

"I  will  see  that  he  uses  a  bell  punch,"  cried  Fred.  This 
suggestion  was  immediately  rejected  as  unworthy  of  one  of 
the  Children  of  the  Skies. 

The  Professor  sat  consulting  a  map.  "We  are  heading 
straight  for  Cleveland,"  he  remarked. 

"I  am  really  glad  of  that,"  said  Dr.  Jones.  "That  is  my 
old  native  town,  and  I  have  not  seen  it  for  many  years.  The 
population  has  doubled  several  times  since  I  left  it,  imme 
diately  after  the  war." 

An  hour  or  so  later,  as  he  stood  upon  the  balcony,  the 
Doctor  suddenly  shouted,  "There's  Cleveland!  And  that 
town  this  side  of  it  is  Berea,  the  great  stone  quarry  place. 
Do  you  see  on  the  north  side  of  the  town  those  brick  and 
stone  buildings  in  a  campus?  That  is  Baldwin  University, 
where  I  attended  school  several  years.  You  didn't  dream, 
dear  old  girl,"  said  he,  tenderly  and  apostrophizingly  to 
said  institution  of  learning,  "that  you  would  ever  turn  out 
such  a  sky  traveler  as  I  am,  did  you?" 

All  the  glasses  were  turned  upon  the  University.  "We 
shall  pass  directly  over  it,"  said  Fred. 

"They  have  sighted  us!"  cried  the  Doctor  excitedly.  "See 
the  students  pouring  out  of  the  buildings!  Let's  give  them 
some  messages."  This  they  did  in  a  liberal  shower. 

They  had  lowered  to  the  five  hundred  foot  level,  so  that 
a  good  view  might  be  taken  of  the  beautiful  metropolis  of 
Ohio — Cleveland.  They  were  just  about  passing  over  it. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  35 

"What  a  splendid  city  it  has  grown  to  be,"  said  Professor 
Gray. 

"Yes,  indeed/'  replied  Dr.  Jones.  "That  portion  of  the 
city,"  continued  he,  pointing  with  his  finger,  "was  formerly 
called  Brooklyn  Center.  I  was  born  a  mile  or  so  from  there. 
Yes!"  he  cried,  looking  earnestly  through  his  glass,  "I  am 

?uite  sure  that  I  can  see  the  old  two-story  farmhouse  where 
was  born.  It  is,  sure  as  shooting!  There  is  grandfather's 
farm  where  the  'Gunpowder  tea'  party  was  held  that  I  told 
you  of.  And  oft'  here  are  the  Heights,  or  South  Cleveland. 
In  1862,  when  I  joined  the  army,  that  was  Camp  Cleve 
land.  It  was  then  covered  with  rough  wooden  "Barracks, 
but  now  you  see  that  it  is  densely  built  up  with  houses. 
My  regiment,  the  124th  0.  V.  I.  was  in  camp  there  three 
months  before  we  went  south." 

"You  must  have  been  a  very  small  soldier  at  that  time," 
said  Mattie. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "I  was  but  fifteen  years  old  at  that 
time.  I  didn't  do  much  good  or  harm,  for  I  was  but  a  snare 
drummer  the  first  two  years  of  my  soldiering,  and  the  last 
year  I  was  detailed  as  mounted  orderly  at  brigade  head 
quarters.  But  just  see  the  people!  Give  them  some  mes 
sages!  We  shall  be  out  of  'Yankee  Doodle'  land  very 
soon." 

So  the  half  million  (more  or  less)  of  Clevelanders  were 
treated  to  a  shower  of  greetings. 

"If  I  had  thought  sooner,  I  would  have  dropped  anchor 
here  and  given  my  old  townies  a  handshake,"  said  the 
Doctor. 

"Too  late  now,  Doctor.  We  have  passed  the  principal 
portion  of  the  city,  and  will  be  above  Lake  Erie  in  two  or 
three  minutes." 

"Yes,  yes,  I  see,"  sighed  the  Doctor.  "But  we  may  see 
you  again.  Goodbye,  Cleveland." 

The  blue  water  of  Lake  Erie  was  now  rolling  beneath 
thorn.  Steamers  and  sail  vessels  thickly  dotted  the  face 
of  the  beautiful  lake;  for  the  traffic  and  travel  upon  these 
great  inland  seas  are  exceedingly  large.  The  Canadian 
shores  were  visible,  and  when  Sing  announced  dinner,  the 
splendid  domain  of  Her  Majesty  Victoria,  Ontario,  lay 
widespread  before  them.  It  was  hard  to  realize  that  they 


36  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

were  not  still  in  their  own  land,  so  much  like  it  did  the 
peaceful  towns,  villages,  and  farms  appear. 

After  dinner,  the  five  men,  in  the  little  smoking-room, 
lighted  their  pipes  and  cigars,  and  entered  into  a  general 
chat. 

"If  this  wind  holds,  we  shall  be  in  the  Arctics  in  two  or 
three  days,"  said  Will. 

"I  suppose  that  we  shall  then  be  obliged  to  get  out  our 
furs,"  replied  Fred. 

"No,"  returned  the  architect.  "These  walls  are  double  as 
well  as  the  floor,  with  air  chambers  between,  and  I  can  turn 
hot  air  into  them  at  pleasure.  The  windows  and  doors  are 
all  double,  also,  and  Jack  Frost  can  never  penetrate  this 
cabin." 

"What  a  contrast  between  this  luxurious  sail  through  the 
sky,  and  the  buffetings  upon  sea  and  land,  the  hunger, 
cold,  and  oftentimes  death,  suffered  by  former  Arctic  ex 
plorers,"  said  the  Professor.  "And,  Doctor,"  he  continued, 
"'if  we  make  a  successful  trip,  the  matter  of  aerial  naviga 
tion  will  have  been  settled.  What  a  power  this  ship  would 
would  have  been  in  the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion." 

"The  war  would  have  been  very  quickly  terminated  if  our 
globe  had  been  in  existence  at  that  time,"  returned  Dr. 
Jones.  "We  could  have  sailed  above  the  reach  of  their 
best  guns  and  dropped  bombs  upon  them  that  would  have 
destroyed  their  forts,  gunboats,  and  armies  at  will.  But  I 
am  glad  things  were  as  they  were.  We  fought  a  fair  fight 
to  the  finish,  and  settled  forever  the  question  of  human 
slavery  in  America.  Had  the  first  few  battles  of  the  war 
been  won  by  the  North,  the  South  might  have  laid  down 
their  arms,  and  have  been  permitted  to  retain  their  insti 
tution  of  slavery.  When  Lincoln  issued  his  Emancipation 
Proclamation,  I  remember  that  even  we  soldiers  in  the  field 
received  the  news  with  a  sort  of  shock,  and  thought  our 
President  over-bold.  We  had  not  thought  of  that  extreme 
measure  as  a  result  of  the  war.  We  were  simply  out  to  pre 
serve  the  Union." 

"And  right  well  you  did  it,  Doctor,"  said  Denison.  "I 
have  always  noticed  in  reading  the  history  of  that  war, 
that  in  the  latter  part  of  it  you  fought  with  much  greater 
skill  and  judgment  than  you  did  in  the  first  year  or  two." 

"That  is  quite  true,  and  nothing  more  than  what  might 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  37 

have  been  expected/'  replied  Dr.  Jones.  "It  is  marvelous 
what  we  accomplished  with  an  absolutely  empty  treasury, 
no  credit,  no  standing  army  to  speak  of,  and  our  little  navy 
scattered  to  the  four  ends  of  the  earth.  The  vast,  splen 
didly  drilled  armies  which  we  brought  into  existence  as  if 
by  magic,  were  the  wonder  of  the  world.  We  had  every 
thing  to  learn,  both  North  and  South,  in  the  matter  of 
logistics.  Long  lines  of  communications  had  to  be  kept 
open,  and  such  splendid  raiders  as  John  Morgan,  Forest, 
Mosby,  etc.,  were  not  slow  to  break  them  frequently,  so 
that  I  remember  going  to  bed  supperless  many  times  after 
a  hard  day's  march,  because  our  rations  had  been  captured 
and  burned.  Our  wagon  trains  were  something  immense, 
while  the  big  Bell  tents  were  in  use;  but  after  what  were 
called  by  the  boys  'pup  tents/  or  'dog  tents/  were  intro 
duced,  the  wagon  trains  were  cut  down  at  least  three- 
fourths.  For  the  pup  tents  we  carried  upon  our  backs,  and 
so  dispensed  with  the  great  Bell  tents  that  were  hauled  in 
wagons.  Our  trains  had  been  so  large  and  cumbersome 
that  military  movements  were  inconceivably  slow,  and  the 
war  could  never  have  been  fought  to  a  successful  issue  by 
the  North  on  those  lines." 

"I  suppose,  Doctor,  that  you  were  in  some  of  the  great 
battles?"  asked  Fred. 

"Yes,  I  was  in  the  battles  of  Chickamauga,  Missionary 
Ridge,  through  the  Atlantic  campaign;  then  under  Gen 
eral  Geo.  H.  Thomas  we  marched  back  into  Tennessee, 
fought  a  desperate  battle  at  Franklin,  and  a  few  weeks  later 
annihilated  the  army  at  Nashville.  While  we  were  doing 
this,  Sherman  was  making  his  renowned  march  to  the  sea. 
But  I'll  spin  you  some  of  my  experiences  before  we  get 
back  home.  Let's  join  the  ladies/' 

"I  should  never  tire  hearing  your  war  stories/'  said  Fred. 
"Yes;  and  you  would  be  the  first  one  to  go  to  sleep  if 
I  should  tell  you  of  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  or  Mission 
ary  Ridge." 

This  Fred  stoutly  denied.  "All  right,"  said  the  Doctor. 
"I'll  test  you  one  of  these  evenings." 

"The  sooner  the  better,"  replied  Fred.  "And  now  let's 
have  some  music." 

They  sang  several  anthems  and  choruses,  and  all  retired 
at  an  early  hour,  except  Denison,  who  stood  watch. 


38  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
In  the  Heart  of  Labrador. 

The  central  room  of  the  cabin  was  called  the  'engine 
room/  It  was  fifteen  feet  square,  with  a  hole  three  feet  in 
diameter  in  one  corner,  now  securely  covered.  It  was  used 
for  lowering  or  hoisting  objects  through  while  the  globe 
was  at  anchor.  An  aluminum  frame  or  cage,  attached  to  a 
windlass  by  a  chain  of  the  same  material,  was  used  for  this 
purpose.  A  powerful  coil  steel  spring  operated  the  wind 
lass.  In  each  of  the  other  corners  of  the  room  were  anchors 
of  aluminum,  also  attached  to  windlasses  and  worked  by 
steel  springs.  There  was  a  dynamo  that  afforded  abundance 
of  light  for  the  ship.  This,  too,  was  run  by  spring  power. 
The  rooms  of  the  cabin  were  brilliantly  lighted,  and  the 
spiral  stairway,  from  the  foot  of  the  mast  which  stood  upon 
the  center  of  the  floor  of  the  engine-room,  was  illuminated 
by  several  lights,  up  to  the  observatory  itself.  At  the  top, 
or  ball  of  the  mast,  was  a  light  of  thirty-two  hundred  can 
dle  power.  Altogether,  the  ship  must  have  been  at  night 
an  object  of  terrific  splendor  to  the  observer  below. 

Will  was  the  originator  of  the  steel-springs  motor  idea, 
and  he  daily  attended  to  winding  them  with  great  faithful 
ness  and  pride.  And  it  was  a  most  invaluable  adjunct  to 
the  comfort  and  success  of  the  expedition,  as  will  be  seen 
before  the  end  of  this  history  is  reached. 

At  daylight,  on  the  following  morning,  all  were  up  and 
looking  out  upon  wild  Canadian  forests.  Here  and  there 
were  small  towns  and  settlements,  but  they  realized  that 
they  were  fast  hastening  beyond  the  pale  of  civilization. 
The  wind  had  moved  during  the  night  into  the  southwest, 
and  the  Professor  informed  them  that  they  were  sailing  at 
the  rate  of  more  than  thirty  miles  an  hour. 

"If  this  wind  will  only  continue,  we  shall  not  be  long 
reaching  our  destination,"  said  the  Doctor.  "While  I  am 
enjoying  the  trip  splendidly,  yet  I  am  anxious  to  reach  the 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  39 

Pole  as  soon  as  possible.  After  that  we  will  start  on  a  gen 
eral  sight-seeing  tour.  But  until  I  have  planted  our  alum 
inum  shaft  exactly  upon  the  north  end  of  the  earth's  axis, 
sight-seeing  is  but  incidental  and  secondary." 

All  day  they  skimmed  like  a  frigate  bird  across  the  face 
of  Canada,  at  an  altitude  of  about  two  thousand  feet.  All 
were  delighted  with  the  behavior  of  the  ship.  Her  capac 
ity  for  floating  and  retaining  heat  far  exceeded  their  most 
sanguine  expectations. 

It  was  interesting  to  watch  the  fast  changing  appearance 
of  the  country,  and  they  could  note  that  the  timber  was 
rapidly  growing  smaller.  Clearings  and  settlements  be 
came  more  and  more  rare,  and  as  the  day  closed  they  were 
looking  upon  primitive,  unbroken  forests,  known  only  to 
hunters,  both  white  and  red. 

Another  night  passed  without  incident.  The  wind  held 
all  night  in  the  same  quarter.  On  the  following  morning 
the  beautiful  ship  was  enveloped  in  a  dense  fog.  "We  are 
in  the  midst  of  a  great  cloud/'  said  Professor  Gray. 

"I  think  we  will  rise  a  few  hundred  feet  and  see  if  we 
can  get  out  of  it,"  replied  Dr.  Jones. 

The  temperature  within  the  globe  was  raised  a  few  de 
grees,  and  the  ship  rapidly  rose  to  twenty-five  hundred  feet 
altitude.  This  carried  them  high  above  the  clouds,  and  it 
was  with  new  and  strange  sensations  that  our  aerial  navi 
gators  looked  down  upon  the  dense  cloud  that  obscured 
the  face  of  the  earth  from  their  view.  The  sun,  meantime, 
was  shining  with  what  seemed  to  them  greatly  increased 
splendor  in  this  super-cloud  region. 

"Well,  girls,"  cried  the  Doctor,  "I  am  for  some  exercise. 
Who  will  mount  with  me  to  the  observatory?" 

They  each  assented,  and  a  few  moments  later  were  sit 
ting  in  that  elevated  place,  very  warm  and  breathless  from 
the  unwonted  exercise  of  the  long  climb.  This  was  Mat- 
tie's  first  visit  to  the  observatory,  and  her  eyes  dilated  with 
terror  as  she  looked  over  the  rolling  sides  of  the  massive 
globe. 

"0,  Doctor,  Doctor!  isn't  this  perfectly  awful!  Think 
of  what  the  very  slightest  mistake  or  mishap  would  do. 
We  should  go  flying  down  through  those  clouds,  and  be 
dashed  to  pieces  in  those  uninhabited  Canadian  forests. 
And  I  suppose  that  our  friends  would  never  hear  of  us 
again. 


40  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"Tut,  tut,  Mattie.  Cheer  up,  little  girl,"  said  the  doc 
tor,  very  soothingly,  and  patting  her  head  with  his  steady, 
strong  hand.  "No  mishap  is  possible.  We  cannot  ex 
plode,  collapse,  burn,  collide,  nor  capsize.  No  enterprise 
ever  entered  upon  by  man  possessed  so  much  of  interest 
and  importance,  and  was  attended  by  so  little  of  the  ele 
ment  of  danger.  You  were  never  safer  in  your  life  than 
you  are  at  this  moment.  Think  of  it!  Here  we  are  above 
the  clouds,  the  world  with  all  its  care  and  heart-aches  shut 
out,  basking  in  this  glorious  sunlight,  sailing  on  in  this 
clear,  bracing,  microbeless  atmosphere.  The  clouds  be 
neath  our  feet,  the  sun  above  our  heads,  and  God's  empy- 
lean  all  about  us.  What  can  be  more  inspiring  and  grand? 
How  does  the  chorus  of  that  old  hymn  run? 

'Let  us  look  above  the  clouds, 
Above  the  clouds,  above  the  clouds; 

Up  above  the  stormy  clouds 
To  fairer  worlds  on  high/ '' 

The  Doctor  sang  this  simple  chorus  in  his  great  sonor 
ous  voice  that  rang  out  over  the  clouds  like  a  bugle  blast. 

"Well,  I  declare  Doctor,  you  will  not  let  me  get  into 
a  real  good  fright/'  cried  Mattie,  smiling  through  eyes  filled 
with  tears. 

"No,  indeed,  I  will  not,  Mattie.  The  only  fear  I  have 
now  is  that  we  may  keep  breakfast  waiting.  Let's  de 
scend." 

The  forenoon  passed  away  very  uneventfully.  About 
the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they  were  treated  to  a  splendid 
spectacle.  A  terrific  thunder  storm  raged  beneath  them; 
and  as  they  looked  below  into  the  inky  depths  of  the 
thunder  clouds,  pierced  and  riven  by  jagged  lightnings, 
followed  by  deafening  bellowings  and  crashings  of  thunder, 
and  then  cast  their  eyes  up  to  the  sun  shining  in  full- 
orbed  splendor  over  all,  they  realized  as  never  before  the 
presence  and  majesty  of  Omnipotence. 

At  four  o'clock,  P.  M.  the  storm  clouds  cleared  away, 
and  the  bleak,  uninviting  face  of  Labrador  was  plainly  vis 
ible.  The  ship  had  settled  to  an  altitude  of  fifteen  hun 
dred  feet,  and  was  moving  northeasterly  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  miles  an  hour. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  41 

"Isn't  that  a  settlement  I  see  ahead  a  few  miles?"  asked 
Will. 

The  Doctor  and  Professor  Gray  decided  that  it  must  be 
a  fort  or  trading  post.  The  ship,  meantime,  was  lowering 
quite  rapidly,  and  was  but  eight  hundred  feet  above  the 
earth. 

"I  have  a  mind  to  drop  anchor  at  that  fort  for  the 
night,"  said  Dr.  Jones.  "Some  fresh  meat,  especially  game 
and  fish,  would  not  be  at  all  bad  to  take.  What  do  you 
all  say?" 

A  general  desire  was  expressed  to  do  so. 

They  could  see  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  were 
greatly  excited,  and  were  running  to  and  fro.  The  globe 
was  lowered  to  within  three  hundred  feet  of  the  earth. 
As  they  neared  the  spot,  two  of  the  anchors  were  dropped, 
and  soon  caught  in  the  birch  tree  tops.  The  ship  strained 
tremendously  at  the  cables  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then 
rode  easily  at  anchorage,  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
buildings. 

"Fort  ahoy!"  shouted  the  Doctor. 

"Ahoy!"  replied  a  hoarse  voice. 

"What  fort  is  this?" 

"This  is  not  a  fort,  but  Constance  House." 

"Well,  we  are  a  party  bound  for  the  North  Pole,  and  we 
wish  to  buy  some  provisions." 

"All  right.  Come  down,  and  we  will  do  the  best  we 
can  for  you.  But  I  think  you  have  scared  everybody  on 
the  place  about  to  death." 

The  spring  power  was  turned  on,  and  the  windlasses 
drew  the  globe  to  within  one  hundred  feet  of  the  earth. 
Then  the  Doctor  and  Denison  descended  in  the  cage. 
They  met  a  splendidly  built,  large  man,  dressed  in  a  semi- 
arctic  suit  of  woolens  and  furs.  The  two  voyagers  in 
troduced  themselves,  explained  their  business,  and  they 
were  received  very  cordially  by  this  man,  John  Barton, 
the  proprietor  and  owner  of  Constance  House.  He  in 
vited  the  whole  company  to  descend  and  make  themselves 
at  home  as  long  as  they  desired  to  remain.  So  two  by  two 
they  descended,  Sing  also  joining  the  group  below.  The 
anchors  were  lashed  to  the  trunks  of  the  trees  to  prevent 
accidents  from  sudden  gusts  of  wind. 


42  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

They  found  Constance  House  to  be  a  large  one-story 
stone  building,  which,  served  for  both  residence  and  store 
room.  One-half  of  it  was  devoted  to  the  storage  of  pro 
visions,  clothing,  and  such  other  goods  as  are  required  by 
hunters  and  trappers.  These  Mr.  Barton  exchanged  for 
furs  with  said  hunters  and  trappers.  Hunting,  trapping, 
and  fishing  constituted  the  sole  business  of  the  simple- 
minded  inhabitants.  Here  they  are  born,  live,  die  con 
tentedly,  knowing  little  of  and  caring  nothing  about  the 
great  world  which  the  most  of  us  are  so  anxious  to  possess. 

Barton's  family  consisted  of  a  wife,  two  strapping  sons, 
who  were  hunters  and  trappers,  and  a  daughter.  The 
daughter's  name  was  Jennie,  aged  eighteen.  She  was  a 
strong,  healthy,  beautiful  girl.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
loveliness  of  her  skin,  the  whiteness  of  her  even  teeth,  or 
the  graceful  shapeliness  of  her  form.  Mrs.  Jones  and 
Mattie  were  immediately  drawn  to  her.  She  met  their 
advances  freely  and  frankly,  though  her  manners  showed 
at  once  that  she  was  not  accustomed  to  such  society.  But 
she  was  so  unaffectedly  sweet  and  pure  that  the  two  ladies 
loved  her  all  the  better  for  her  unsophistication.  Mrs. 
Barton  was  an  invalid,  and  they  did  not  see  her  that  eve 
ning. 

After  a  bountiful  supper  the  whole  party  drew  up  to  a 
vast  fireplace.  In  it  roared  a  huge  fire,  for  the  night  was 
very  cold  and  frosty.  For  a  time  the  air-ship  and  the  ob 
ject  of  their  voyage  was  discussed.  The  admiration  of 
Barton  and  the  inhabitants  of  Constance  House  for  the 
globe  was  unbounded.  The  wind  had  lulled  away  to  a 
very  gentle  breeze,  and  the  superlatively  splendid  globe 
hung  above  them  so  majestically,  and  glistened  so  beauti 
fully  in  the  moonlight,  that  it  is  not  wonderful  that  these 
people,  who  saw  and  knew  so  little  of  the  outside  world, 
should  be  struck  dumb  with  wonder  and  astonishment  as 
they  looked  upon  it. 

"I  must  say/'  said  Barton,  "that  I  never  experienced  such 
sensations  in  my  life  as  I  did  when  your  ship  hove  in  sight. 
I  have  been  mate  of  some  good  ships  in  my  time,  and  have 
traveled  over  a  good  portion  of  the  earth.  I  have  seen 
many  strange  sights  on  land  and  sea,  but  this  beats  them 
nil  by  so  much  that  I  shall  never  mention  them  again.  And 
you  are  going  to  make  the  North  Pole  beyond  a  peradven- 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  43 

ture.  Nothing  could  please  me  so  well  as  to  make  one  of 
your  party.  But  my  poor,  poor  wife!"  He  dropped  his 
face  into  his  hands,  and  tears  trickled  down  upon  his 
massive  grey  beard.  The  two  sons  and  Jennie  also  par 
ticipated  in  their  father's  grief. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  your  wife?"  asked  Mrs.  Jones, 
very  gently.  "Perhaps  Dr.  Jones  might  do  something  for 
her." 

"No,  no,  madam;  her  case  is  a  hopeless  one.  I  took  her 
down  to  Montreal  last  year,  and  the  best  medical  men  there 
were  consulted.  They  could  do  absolutely  nothing  for  her,, 
and  I  have  brought  her  home  to  die.  I  wanted  to  stay 
there  with  her,  where  she  could  have  more  of  the  comforts 
of  life,  but  she  preferred  to  come  back  to  Constance  House." 

"While  I  know  nothing  of  the  nature  of  your  wife's  dis 
ease,  yet  I  will  say  that  I  have  cured  many  cases  of  so-called 
incurables.  It  is  not  that  I  know  more  of  the  nature  of 
disease  than  the  average  physician,  but  I  use  drugs  that 
they  know  nothing  of,  will  not  investigate,  look  at,  nor 
even  touch  with  the  longest  of  tongs,"  said  Dr.  Jones. 

"But,  Doctor,  my  wife's  case  is  cancer.  They  showed 
me  the  latest  and  best  authorities,  and  they  invariably  gave 
what  they  called  an  'unfavorable  prognosis/  You  would 
not  undertake  to  say  that  this  fearful  disease  is  curable, 
would  you?"  cried  Barton,  very  earnestly. 

The  Doctor  saw  that  he  had  a  very  intelligent  and  well- 
informed  man  to  deal  with.  He  had  conceived  a  liking 
for  the  grand  old  man,  and  desired,  with  all  his  good  and 
kindly  heart,  to  help  this  noble  family  in  its  distress  and 
isolation  from  the  civilized  world.  So  he  said  slowly  and 
impressively: 

"Mr.  Barton,  I  came  to  you  this  afternoon  like  a  mes 
senger  from  the  skies.  The  way  in  which  I  came,  and  the 
ship  in  which  I  sailed,  ought  to  entitle  my  word  to  some 
weight  with  you.  Now  I  am  going  to  say  this:  I  have 
cured  cancers,  and  believe  that  a  large  percentage  of  them 
are  curable.  I  would  like  to  see  your  wife,  and  if  I  can  do 
anything  for  her,  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  it." 

"I  thank  you,  Dr.  Jones,  with  all  my  heart.  Come  right 
in  with  me,"  and  Barton  led  the  way  to  his  wife's  room. 
Half  an  hour  later  the  Doctor  came  from  the  sick  room, 


44  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

went  out,  jumped  into  the  cage  and  mounted  to  the  globe. 
He  returned  in  a  few  moments  and  said:  "I  have  here 
medicine,  Mr.  Barton,  that  is  certain  to  do  your  wife  a 
great  amount  of  good.  And  I  am  quite  positive  that  it  will 
work  a  perfect  cure.  Her  symptoms  point  so  unmistakably 
and  pronouncedly  to  a  certain  remedy  that  I  feel  safe  in 
assuring  you  of  immediate  relief.  I  shall  be  much  sur 
prised  if  you  do  not  see  less  pain,  burning,  restlessness, 
thirst — in  short,  a  decidedly  better  night  than  she  has 
known  for  months." 

Constance  House  was  not  prepared  with  sleeping  accom 
modations  for  so  large  a  company  of  visitors,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  they  mounted  to  the  ship  for  the  night.  At  seven 
o'clock  on  the  following  morning  they  all  descended  again 
and  partook  of  the  substantial  breakfast  prepared  for  them 
by  Jennie,  with  the  help  of  a  half-breed  Indian  girl. 

The  surprise  and  delight  of  the  family  was  immeasurable 
at  the  palliative  effects  of  Dr.  Jones'  medicine.  Mrs.  Barton 
had  rested  quite  comfortably  nearly  all  night,  a  thing  that 
she  had  not  done  in  many  months.  Barton  grasped  the 
Doctor's  hand  when  he  first  appeared  in  the  morning,  and 
-could  not  speak  for  emotion. 

"That  is  all  right,  Mr.  Barton;  just  what  I  expected." 

"Doctor,  you  have  inspired  me  with  a  degree  of  hope  that 
I  never  expected  to  know  again.  Do  you  really  think 
you  can  cure  her?" 

"Mr.  Barton,  I  will  just  reiterate  what  I  said  to  you 
last  night:  I  have  seen  some  astonishing  cures  done  by 
the  remedy  indicated  by  the  symptoms,  and  in  what  we 
call  a  'high  potency.'  I  cannot  stop  to  explain  all  this  to 
you,  but  you  can  rest  assured  that  it  is  the  only  help  or 
hope  for  your  wife.  Anxious  though  I  am  to  be  off  toward 
our  destination,  yet  I  am  going  to  stop  over  and  study 
your  wife's  symptoms  more  closely,  and  leave  you  medicines 
with  written  directions  as  to  their  use." 

The  joy  of  the  Barton  family  was  unbounded  at  this 
announcement  of  the  benevolent  Doctor. 

After  breakfast,  Denison,  Fred,  and  Will  decided  to  ac 
company  the  Barton  boys  up  the  river  that  flowed  near 
Constance  House,  visiting  their  traps. 

"What  game  do  you  have  in  this  country?"  asked  Den 
ison. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  45 

"We  have  reindeer,  bear,  wolves,  foxes,  hare,  marten, 
otter,  and  in  the  spring  and  summer  we  have  an  abundance 
of  geese,  ducks,  etc.,"  replied  Joe,  the  elder  of  the  boys. 
Sam  was  the  younger  of  the  brothers,  and  they  were  aged 
twenty-three  and  twenty-one  years  respectively.  The  voy 
agers  were  surprised  at  the  correctness  of  their  speech  and 
other  indications  of  education. 

"Our  mother  is  an  educated  woman,  and  has  taken  great 
pains  with  our  education,"  said  Sam  in  reply  to  a  remark 
of  Denison  upon  the  subject.  "And  she  has  done  as  much 
for  father.  Our  long  winter  nights  we  always  spend  in 
reading,  music,  and  sometimes  in  such  games  as  chess, 
backgammon,  drafts,  etc.  Mother  is  a  most  splendid 
mathematician.  She  is  also  quite  a  linguist.  But  I  am 
afraid  that  mother's  days  of  teaching  are  over  in  this  world. 
Dr.  Jones  is  exceedingly  kind,  but  do  you  really  think  that 
he  has  any  hopes  of  curing  her?"  And  the  two  sons  looked 
anxiously  into  Denison's  face  as  they  awaited  his  reply. 

"Well,"  replied  Denison  slowly,  as  if  carefully  weighing 
his  words,  "I  have  known  Dr.  Jones  more  than  twenty 
years  very  intimately,  and  I  tell  you  candidly  that  you  may 
rely  implicitly  upon  his  word.  He  is  a  physician  of  re 
markable  skill,  and  to  my  positive  knowledge  has  cured 
several  cases  of  cancer  that  had  been,  like  your  mother's, 
given  up  as  incurable.  So  I  should  hope  a  great  deal  if 
he  gives  you  encouragement." 

"God  is  good,  and  has  heard  our  prayers,"  said  Sam. 

While  this  party  spent  the  day  until  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon  paddling  from  trap  to  trap,  capturing  three  ot 
ters,  and  catching  several  dozen  beautiful  trout  and  black 
bass,  the  Doctor  and  the  Professor  ascended  with  Mr. 
Barton  to  the  ship.  As  he  passed  through  the  elegant 
rooms  of  the  cabin,  and  saw  the  wonderful  degree  of  com 
fort,  and  even  luxury,  that  our  voyagers  were  enjoying, 
he  cried  out,  like  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  "The  half  was  never 
told!"  And  the  wonderful  metal  of  which  everything 
was  composed  where  practicable — aluminum — excited  his 
special  interest. 

"Without  this  metal  you  could  never  have  made  the 
trip,"  he  declared.  But  when  he  had  mounted  the  spiral 
sfeirway,  and  was  standing  in  the  observatory,  for  some 
time  he  was  speechless.  As  his  eye  ran  up  the  shining 


46  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

mast,  then  off  over  the  glistening  sides  of  the  globe  to  the 
earth,,  three  hundred  feet  below,  then  away  over  the  track 
less  wastes  of  Labrador,  he  finally  exclaimed,  "This,  gen 
tlemen,  is  too  wonderful  for  me.  I  cannot  give  expression 
to  my  feelings.  If  you  had  told  me  that  you  were  visitors 
from  Venus  or  Mars,  I  should  be  obliged  to  believe  you." 

And  so  they  sat  and  discussed  for  an  hour  or  more  the 
object  of  the  expedition,  and  the  probability  of  success. 
All  agreed  that,  so  far  as  human  thought  and  judgment 
could  foresee,  failure  was  hardly  possible.  They  descend 
ed  to  the  cabin.  The  aluminum  mast  especially  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  old  sailor. 

"And  you  intend  erecting  this  magnificent  spar  at  the 
North  Pole!"  he  exclaimed,  all  his  sailor  instincts  thor 
oughly  aroused.  "How  do  you  intend  to  manage  that  busi 
ness,  Doctor?" 

"We  shall  be  governed  in  that  matter  entirely  by  cir 
cumstances,"  replied  Dr.  Jones.  "I  do  not  know  what  we 
may  find  there,  and  so  cannot  say  exactly  what  we  may 
have  to  do.  But  I  shall  consider  the  trip  a  partial  failure 
if  I  do  not  leave  this  stately  shaft,  exactly  to  the  quarter 
of  an  inch,  standing  at  the  North  Pole,  with  that  alumin 
um  flag  flying  at  its  peak,  there  to  float  till  time  shall  be 
no  more." 

"Well,  Doctor,  I  am  a  thoroughbred  British  subject,  and 
can't  help  wishing  that  it  was  the  Union  Jack  that  you 
were  going  to  leave  there;  but  you  deserve  all  the  honor  of 
the  occasion,  and  I  am  glad  to  bid  you  Godspeed/'  said 
Barton  heartily. 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Dr.  Jones,  "now  let  us  go  down 
and  see  further  about  your  wife's  oase.  I  must  be  off  to 
morrow  morning,  bright  and  early." 

The  Doctor  and  Barton  repaired  to  the  sick  chamber. 
After  nearly  an  hour  they  left  the  house,  walked  down  to 
the  river  bank,  and  talked  long  and  earnestly  concerning 
the  treatment  of  Mrs.  Barton. 

"I  will  tell  you  just  what  I  am  doing  for  your  wife,  and 
the  grounds  I  have  for  hope.  I  think,  under  the  circum 
stances,  that  an  expose  of  the  rationale  of  my  treatment  is 
due  you,  for  two  reasons,  first,  because  I  desire  to  give  you  a 
reason  for  the  hope  that  is  within  me,  and  so  make  you  as 
happy  and  comfortable  as  possible  by  filling  you  up  with 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  47 

a  lively  faith;  secondly,  because  I  delight  in  instructing 
intelligent  people  in  what  I  conceive  to  be  the  only  rational 
and  scientific  system  of  medicine  known,  to  man. 

"In  this  pocket-case  book,  you  will  observe  that  I  have 
taken  Mrs.  Barton's  symptoms  very  carefully  and  minutely: 

"1.  A  fearful  and  apprehensive  state  of  mind.  She  can 
not  tolerate  being  left  alone. 

"2.  Intolerable  thirst  for  cold  water.  Drinks  often,  and 
but  a  sip  or  two  at  a  time. 

"3.  The  pains  are  very  sharp,  lancinating,  and  burning. 

"4.  She  is  always  worse  at  night,  from  twelve  o'clock 
until  two  or  three,  A.  M.  The  pains  then  are  intolerable, 
and  burning  like  red-hot  iron,  so  that  you  are  obliged  to 
hold  her  in  your  arms  to  prevent  her  doing  herself  injury. 

"5.  Great  restlessness. 

"6.  Skin  yellow,  or  straw-colored,  dry  and  wrinkled. 

"7.  Very  emaciated  and  weak. 

"There  are  quite  a  number  of  other  symptoms  of  less 
importance,  but  all  are  found  under  but  one  drug  in  all 
the  earth,  and  that  drug  is  arsenic.  Do  not  be  alarmed 
at  the  name,  for  the  doses  I  give  are  absolutely  immaterial 
and  can  do  no  harm.  But  they  do  possess  a  curative  pow 
er  that  is  truly  miraculous  and  past  the  comprehension  of 
man.  What  gives  me  greater  hope  and  confidence  in  your 
wife's  case  is  the  fact  that  she  has  never  been  under  the 
surgeon's  knife.  Operations  for  cancer  not  only  do  no 
good  whatever,  but  they  reduce  the  patient's  chances  of 
cure,  so  that  after  the  second  or  third  one  the  case  is  ren 
dered  absolutely  incurable.  And  another  thing  greatly 
in  her  favor  is  that  she  has  taken  but  little  medicine,  and 
so  I  have  been  able  to  get  a  clear  picture  of  the  case.  And 
1  must  strictly  forbid  the  use  of  any  drugs  whatever,  in 
ternally  or  externally,  except  what  I  give  you." 

"But,  Doctor,  the  terrible  odor!"  said  Barton,  "Must  I 
not  use  the  disinfectant  as  I  have  been  doing?" 

"No;  nothing  but  washing  with  warm  castile  soap-suds, 
two  or  three  times  daily.  The  odor  will  all  disappear  with 
in  a  few  days." 

"Well,  that  is  astonishing!  And  is  arsenic  the  remedy 
for  all  cases  of  cancer?" 

"Not  by  any  manner  of  means.  That  is  the  great  mis 
take  of  the  medical  world  in  all  ages.  They  are  continu- 


48  I>K.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

ally  on  the  lookout  for  specifics,  or  medicines  that  cure  all 
cases  of  any  given  disease,  irrespective  of  symptoms.  Ev 
ery  case  must  be  taken  upon  its  individual  merits,  and 
differentiated  upon  symptomatology  alone.  And  a  drug 
must  be  prescribed  that  is  indicated  by  the  symptoms. 
Anything  more  or  less  than  this  is  unscientific,  and  a  con 
trariety  to  one  of  God's  most  beautiful  and  universal  laws 
— 'Similia  similibus  curanter,' — 'Like  cures  like.'  That  is 
to  say,  arsenic  is  the  remedy  for  your  wife,  because,  when 
taken  in  material  doses,  it  always  produces  symptoms  iden 
tical  with  those  manifested  in  her  case.  Hence  I  meet 
them  with  immaterial  doses  of  that  drug.  Had  her  symp 
toms  been  different,  then  I  should  have  been  obliged  to 
seek  and  find,  if  possible,  a  drug  capable  of  causing  this 
different  set  of  symptoms,  whatever  they  might  have  been. 
Now  this  rule  of  law  holds  good  throughout  all  the  field 
of  medicine,  except  that  which  is  purely  surgical.  Do  you 
catch  the  idea?" 

"I  do,  Doctor,  I  do;  and  I  declare  that  it  looks  very  rea 
sonable  as  you  put  it.  I  like  the  theory,  and  if  it  always 
holds  good  in  practice,  then  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
beneficent  of  God's  laws." 

"Thousands  of  times,  Barton,  in  an  active  practice  of 
more  than  twenty-five  years,  I  have  tested  this  law;  and  I 
tell  you,  as  an  honest  man,  and  one  who  expects  to  answer 
for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body  at  the  bar  of  God,  that  it 
never  failed  me  once.  I  have  failed  many  times  because  I 
could  not  read  aright  the  symptoms  of  the  case;  or  when  it 
was  an  incurable  affair,  rendered  so  by  drugs  and  surgery," ! 
said  Dr.  Jones  with  great  earnestness.  "But  come,  I  have 
given  you  quite  a  medical  lecture.  Let's  look  up  the  girls 
and  see  what  they  are  about." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  49 


CHAPTEE  X. 
A  Messenger  from  the  Skies. 

Mrs.  Jones  and  Mattie  had  found  Jennie  to  be  a  lovely, 
intelligent,  and  more  than  ordinarily  educated  girl.  While 
unused  to  society,  yet  there  was  an  honest  straightforward 
ness  about  her  that  was  very  charming.  The  two  ladies 
became  easily  intimately  acquainted  with  her.  Her  whole 
soul  was  devoted  to  her  mother,  and  the  hope  that  Dr. 
Jones  had  inspired  shone  from  her  eyes.  She  became 
quite  cheerful  and  merry.  And  the  effect  upon  the  poor 
invalid  was  not  less  visible.  She  insisted  upon  sitting  in 
her  easy  chair  by  the  fireplace,  and  joined  in  the  conversa 
tion. 

Sing,  meantime,  had  installed  himself  as  the  presiding 
genius  of  the  kitchen,  and  he  and  the  half-breed  Indian 
girl  were  getting  along  famously  together. 

"How  long  have  you  lived  in  this  place,  Mrs.  Barton?" 
asked  Mrs.  Jones. 

"Twenty-three  years,"  replied  she. 

"Well,  have  you  not  found  it  a  very  monotonous  exist 
ence?" 

"I  did  at  first;  but  as  my  children  were  born,  my  mind 
and  heart  were  so  taken  up  by  them  that  time  did  not 
hang  heavily  upon  our  hands.  I  really  believe  that  we  are 
much  happier  than  the  majority  of  people  in  the  towns  and 
cities." 

"0,  if  mother  can  but  get  well,  it  seems  to  me  that  I 
shall  never  be  discontented  again  in  Constance  House!" 
exclaimed  Jennie,  her  eyes  filling  with  tears. 

"My  poor  girl  does  long  sometimes  to  see  the  great 
world,"  said  Mrs.  Barton,  stroking  the  head  of  Jennie,  who 
was  sitting  upon  a  stool  at  her  feet.  "Well,  my  dear  girl, 
I  believe  that  God,  in  his  infinite  mercy,  has  sent  us  help 
directly  from  the  skies;  for  I  must  say  that  last  night,  as 
I  lay  the  first  time  for  many  weary  months  free  from  pain 


50  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

and  awful  burning  and  retlessness,  that  I  thanked  God  as 
I  had  never  done  before;  and  my  faith  went  out  to  Him  so 
that  I  felt  a  great  peace  settle  upon  me.  He  has  blessed 
the  means  being  used.  I  shall  recover,  my  darling  girl." 

Jennie,  in  a  paroxysm  of  joy,  threw  herself  at  her  moth 
er's  feet,  and  buried  her  face  in  her  lap,  weeping  as  she 
had  never  done  in  her  life.  At  this  juncture  the  Doctor, 
Professor  Gray,  and  Mr.  Barton  entered  the  room. 

"Tut,  tut,"  said  the  Doctor,  seeing  the  tears  streaming 
down  the  faces  of  the  four  women,  "what  sort  of  business 
is  this?  You  ought  to  all  be  laughing  instead  of  crying. 
There  is  nothing  to  cry  about,  I  assure  you." 

"Doctor,"  said  Mrs.  Barton,  extending  her  hand  to  him, 
"you  do  not  understand.  We  are  rejoicing,  and  this  is 
just  our  poor  woman's  way  of  doing  it." 

"I  see,  I  see,"  said  the  jovial  Doctor,  "Well,  now  wipe 
away  your  tears,  and  give  God  all  glory.  He  has  sent  me, 
a  poor  weak  mortal,  simply  as  a  messenger  to  administer 
that  which  will  save  you  from  a  loathsome  disease  and 
death.  All  glory  be  unto  Him." 

He  then  began  singing  softly  and  reverently,  the  others 
joining: 

"God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform, 
He  plants  his  footsteps  in  the  sea, 
And  rides  upon  the  storm. 

Deep  in  unfathomable  mines 
Of  never  failing  skill, 
He  treasures  up  his  bright  designs, 
And  works  his  sovereign  will. 

Ye  fearful  saints,  fresh  courage  take; 
The  clouds  ye  so  much  dread 
Are  big  with  mercy,  and  shall  break 
In  blessings  on  your  head." 

"And  now,  Mrs.  Barton,  you  must  come  out  and  see  the 
chariot  in  which  the  Lord  sent  us,"  cried  Dr.  Jones  gayly. 

The  poor  invalid  stood  in  the  door  and  looked  up  at  the 
great  globe  that  shimmered  and  glistened  like  burnished 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  51 

silver  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  How  proudly  and 
serenely  it  rode  above  their  heads  as  if  conscious  of  its  own 
unparalleled  beauty,  and  its  blessed  mission  in  this  present 
instance.  She  gazed  upon  it  a  few  moments  in  speechless 
rapture,  her  poor  emaciated  hands  clasped  upon  her  breast. 

"This  is  too  marvelous  for  me,"  she  cried.  "What  am 
I  that  God  should  send  deliverance  to  me  in  so  glorious 
and  majestic  a  ship  of  the  skies!  I  am  lost  in  wonder  and 
praise.  Glory  be  to  His  holy  name  forever  and  forever." 

"Amen!"  responded  the  listeners  fervently. 

The  canoe  party  returned  at  four  o'clock,  P.  M.  All 
were  tired  and  ready  to  sit  about  the  generous  fire;  for 
evening  was  at  hand,  and  the  air  was  already  sharp  and 
frosty. 

"And  how  did  it  happen,  Mr.  Barton,  that  you  came  to 
settle  away  up  in  this  barren  wilderness?"  asked  Professor 
Gray. 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  know  myself,"  returned  Mr.  Bar 
ton.  "I  was  taken  sick  at  a  boarding-house  in  Montreal, 
and  was  sent  to  a  hospital.  I  was  at  that  time  master  of 
the  bark  Twilight,  a  Liverpool  craft.  Mrs.  Barton  was 
then  a  beautiful  girl — don't  blush  so,  Mrs.  Barton.  Jennie 
there  is  a  perfect  reproduction  of  you  as  1  first  saw  you, 
and  I  should  not  be  ashamed  of  our  Jennie  anywhere  on 
earth.  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  Mrs.  Barton,  named  at  that 
time  Miss  Constance  Schmidt,  the  daughter  of  a  Moravian 
missionary,  visited  the  hospital  frequently  as  an  angel  of 
mercy.  So  far  as  I  was  concerned  it  was  a  case  of  love  at 
first  sight.  She  nursed  me  back  to  health;  and,  with  the 
usual  ingratitude  of  man,  I  married  her  for  her  pains.  I 
then  gave  up  the  sea  after  a  trip  or  two,  and  settled  in 
Montreal.  But  I  could  not  get  used  to,  nor  like  the  con 
ventionalities  of  city  life.  So  I  made  a  trip  into  these 
wilds.  I  saw  an  opportunity  to  do  a  good  business  in  furs; 
and  so,  with  wife's  consent,  we  settled  on  this  spot.  I 
built  this  house,  which  I  named  in  honor  of  my  wife — 
Constance.  I  have  done  fairly  well  financially,  and  I  am 
sure  that  we  have  been  quite  happy  and  contented.  Until 
Mrs.  Barton's  illness,  I  was  without  a  care  or  worry  in  the 
world." 

"But  don't  you  find  the  winters  very  long  and  terribly 
cold?"  asked  Fred. 


52  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"On  the  contrary,  we  enjoy  our  winters  very  much.  To 
be  sure,  the  thermometer  runs  from  thirty  to  fifty  degrees 
below  zero;  but  if  the  wind  does  not  blow,  we  suffer  very 
little  from  it." 

'What  do  you  do  to  pass  the  time?"  asked  Will. 

"The  boys,  when  the  weather  is  favorable,  trap  and  hunt. 
I  am  getting  a  little  too  old  and  heavy  for  much  of  that; 
so  I  attend  to  the  chores  about  the  place,  trade  goods  for 
furs  to  the  hunters  and  Esquimaux.  Our  evenings  are 
passed  in  reading,  one  often  reading  aloud  to  the  rest  of 
us.  And  we  have  a  great  deal  of  music.  Joe  plays  the 
violin,  Sam  the  flute,  and  Jennie  the  guitar  or  dulcimer." 

"By  the  way,"  cried  Fred,  "Let's  have  a  musical  soiree 
to-night.  What  do  you  all  say?" 

This  proposition  was  enthusiastically  received. 

"Come,  Will,  let's  run  up  and  get  the  organ.  Will  you 
go  up?"  addressing  Joe  and  Sam. 

"Go  up,  my  sons,  and  see  this  Alladin's  palace,"  said  Mr. 
Barton.  "You  will  never  see  its  like  again/'* 

In  half  an  hour  they  returned.  The  young  Bartons  were 
wildly  enthusiastic  in  their  praises  of  the  globe. 

"Jennie,  you  must  not  fail  to  see  the  wonderful  air-ship," 
cried  Joe.  Mattie,  Jennie,  Will  and  Fred  visited  the  globe, 
returning  just  in  time  for  a  splendid  supper  prepared  by 
the  skillful  Celestial,  Sing.  All  that  the  larders  of  both 
Constance  House  and  the  globe  afforded  had  been  drawn 
upon,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  in  all  inhospitable  Labrador 
a  more  elaborate  and  bountiful  table  was  ever  spread. 

The  Doctor,  at  Mr.  Barton's  request,  asked  the  Divine 
blessing,  and  all  fell  to  and  ate  with  an  appetite  that  is 
known  only  to  those  of  clear  consciences  and  sound  diges 
tive  organs.  Having  done  justice  to  the  really  splendid 
meal,  they  repaired  to  the  sitting  room.  The  beautiful 
aluminum  organ  graced  the  center  of  the  apartment,  and 
the  musicians  gathered  about  it.  Fred  was  surprised  and 
delighted  to  find  that  the  young  Bartons  were  all  really 
accomplished  musicians,  and  their  instruments  blended  in 
sweetest  harmony.  So  they  played  a  number  of  orchestral 
pieces  that  were  received  with  great  applause  by  the  audi 
ence.  Then  solos,  duets,  trios,  quartettes,  choruses,  etc., 
were  sung,  and  it  is  not  probable  that  the  Barton  family 
ever  spent  so  delightful  an  evening  in  their  lives.  And 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  53 

let  us  just  contemplate  the  scene  for  a  moment.  How 
happy,  joyous,  and  innocent  they  were,  just  as  God  intend 
ed  his  children  to  be.  Two  days  before,  this  lovely 
family  had  been  in  the  depths  of  despair,  day  by  day  watch 
ing  a  beloved  wife  and  mother  dying  by  inches  of  a  painful, 
lingering,  loathsome  disease.  Not  a  sound  of  music  had 
been  heard  in  the  house  for  many  days.  The  violin,  guitar, 
and  dulcimer  had  lain  utterly  neglected  and  unstrung. 
Now  a  change  has  occurred  that  must  have  delighted  the 
angels  of  God.  Through  the  unselfishness,  skill,  and  noble- 
hearted  ness  of  one  man,  has  come  so  unexpectedly,  as  if 
dropped  from  the  very  skies,  in  the  heart  of  one  of  the 
most  inhospitable  portions  of  the  earth,  sweet  hope  and 
deliverance.  What  wonder  that  their  hearts  are  light  and 
merry?  One  thought  only  mars  their  pleasure:  to-morrow 
morning  the  Children  of  the  Skies  will  sail  away  in  their 
glorious  sky-ship,  probably  never  to  return. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  company  broke  up,  the  ship  company 
ascending,  as  before  to  their  staterooms.  Barton  would 
not  hear  to  anything  else  than  that  they  should  descend 
in  the  morning  for  the  last  time.  How  sad  these  earthly 
partings  are.  It  will  not  be  so  in  that  better  land. 


54  DR.  JONES'  PICN10. 


CHAPTER  XL 
Is  the  World  Growing  Better? 

Before  daylight  on  the  following  morning  they  descend 
ed  to  breakfast.  Mrs.  Barton  had  enjoyed  a  comfortable 
night,  and  Dr.  Jones  expressed  himself  as  delighted  with 
her  condition. 

"You  have  everything  to  hope  for/'  he  said  to  the  fam 
ily.  "I  leave  you  this  medicine,  with  written  directions 
for  its  use.  Do  not  repeat  the  dose  I  have  given  her  so 
long  as  improvement  continues.  When  it  ceases  you  will 
do  as  directed  in  my  written  instructions." 

The  hour  of  departure  had  arrived.  Farewells  had  all 
been  said,  and  the  company  had  ascended  except  the  Doctor 
and  his  wife. 

"I  cannot  say  what  I  wish  to  you,"  said  Barton,  taking 
each  of  them  by  the  hand.  "I  simply  look  upon  you  as 
messengers  from  God,  and  I  want  to  give  you  something 
more  substantial  than  thanks/'  He  placed  a  buckskin 
sack  of  gold  in  the  hand  of  Dr.  Jones. 

"Oh!  no,  Mr.  Barton,  my  good  friend,"  said  the  Doctor, 
handing  it  back;  "I  won't  take  a  cent.  You  are  ten 
thousand  times  welcome  to  anything  I  have  done.  I  feel 
myself  richly  remunerated  in  the  satisfaction  of  leaving 
you  all  happy." 

"Take  it,  Mrs.  Jones,  as  a  present  from  me,"  said  Barton, 
and  he  pressed  it  into  her  hand.  "You  will  really  hurt 
me  if  you  do  not  accept  it." 

"Then  I  will  do  so,  Mr.  Barton.  Good-bye,"  and  away 
they  shot  up  to  the  cabin.  At  a  given  signal  Joe  and  Sam 
cast  the  anchors  off,  they  whizzed  up  to  the  engine-room, 
and  the  mighty  ball  bounded  skyward  like  a  bird  in  the 
clear,  frosty  morning  air.  A  very  brisk  wind  was  blowing 
from  nearly  due  south,  and  the  voyagers  were  delighted 
with  the  progress  they  made  that  day  toward  their  destina 
tion. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  55 

All  day  they  sped  at  more  than  forty  miles  an  hour  over 
the  vast  elevated  plains  that  were  but  barren  wastes,  grow 
ing  every  hour  drearier  and  more  desolate. 

"Of  all  the  misnomers  on  earth,  the  name  given  this 
country  ranks  first/'  said  Professor  Gray. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  'Labrador/  Pro 
fessor?"  asked  Denison. 

"The  literal  meaning  of  the  word  is  'cultivable  land.' 
As  to  its  appropriateness,  you  can  judge  for  yourselves. 
I  do  not  know  who  bestowed  upon  it  this  misfit  of  a  name, 
but  it  must  have  been  a  hardy  explorer,  who  did  it  in  a  fit 
of  spleen  and  wretchedness." 

"The  Barton  family  seems  to  be  comfortable  and  happy 
in  poor  old  Labrador,"  said  Mrs.  Jones. 

"Yes,  but  my  dear  madame,  they  do  not  live  by  culti 
vating  the  land,"  returned  the  Professor.  "The  seasons 
are  too  variable,  and  the  changes  of  temperature  are  far 
too  sudden  to  permit  raising  of  crops  of  any  kind." 

"Mr.  Barton  told  me  that  they  did  raise  a  little  garden 
stuff,  such  as  onions,  lettuce,  and  radishes;  but  potatoes, 
corn,  etc.,  invariably  are  nipped  by  frost,  and  never  ma 
ture,"  said  Denison. 

The  Professor,  a  few  moments  before  noon,  ascended  to 
the  observatory  with  sextant  and  chronometer,  and  deter 
mined  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  "Silver  Cloud,"  as 
Mrs.  Jones  had  named  the  aluminum  ship.  He  made  the 
entry  in  his  logbook. 

"There  is  our  exact  position  now,  Doctor,"  and  he  placed 
the  point  of  a  pencil  on  the  map  of  Labrador. 

"In  forty-eight  hours  we  will  be  within  the  Arctics  at 
this  rate  of  speed,"  cried  Dr.  Jones,  rubbing  his  hands  with 
delight. 

The  face  of  the  country  was  so  uninteresting  and  monot 
onous,  covered  more  or  less  with  snow,  that  the  voyagers 
became  tired  of  looking  at  it,  and  turned  their  attention 
to  various  pursuits  within  the  cabin.  Becoming  tired  of 
music,  they  read,  played  games,  conversed,  etc. 

The  Doctor  and  Professor  were  each  expert  chess  players, 
and  their  games  were  long  and  closely  contested.  Victory 
perched  about  as  often  upon  the  banner  of  one  as  the  other. 

Fred  worked  daily  upon  a  composition  which  he  enti 
tled  "The  Xorth  Pole  March,"  and  declared  that  the  music 


56  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

should  be  played  by  himself,  while  the  rest  of  the  company 
marched  around  the  aluminum  flagstaff,  after  its  erection 
at  the  summit  of  the  earth,  the  North  Pole.  The  two  ladies 
were  greatly  interested  in  Fred's  composition,  and  hummed 
and  sang  it  with  him,  offering  suggestions  here  and  there 
that  were  of  more  or  less  benefit  to  him. 

Denison  and  Will  spent  their  time  attending  to  the 
springs,  watching  the  thermometers  and  barometer.  This, 
however,  occupied  but  little  of  their  leisure,  and  they 
played  many  games  of  checkers  and  backgammon.  Will 
took  an  occasional  snapshot  with  his  camera  when  he  saw 
anything  of  interest.  He  had  taken  some  excellent  photo 
graphs  of  Silver  Cloud  and  company,  which  he  had  left 
with  the  Barton  family.  Who  can  doubt  that  they  were 
an  unfailing  source  of  delight  and  tender  remembrance  to 
this  intelligent  and  interesting  family,  as  they  sat  about 
their  great  fireplace  during  the  long  winter  nights.  And 
the  artist  had  taken  some  sketches  of  Constance  House  and 
inhabitants,  which  he  had  brought  with  him.  He  had 
converted  one  of  the  spare  bedrooms  into  a  studio,  and 
spent  an  hour  or  two  daily  upon  a  portrait  in  oil  of  Jennie 
Barton.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is,  the  unadorned  beauty 
and  grace  of  the  lovely  Jennie  had  touched  his  artistic 
taste  beyond  anything  that  he  had  ever  experienced  in  his 
life.  And  away  deep  in  his  heart,  almost  unknown  to 
himself,  was  a  determination  to  spend  a  summer  season  at 
Constance  House,  as  soon  after  their  return  from  the  Pole 
as  possible. 

Silver  Cloud  all  this  time  was  hastening  with  the  speed 
of  a  carrier  pigeon,  nearly  due  north.  Dr.  Jones  and  Pro 
fessor  Gray  could  not  repress  their  satisfaction  each  day 
as  their  observations  showed  them  to  be  moving  straight 
as  an  arrow  toward  the  object  of  their  journey.  The  alti 
tude  they  maintained  was  very  little  more  or  less  than  three 
thousand  feet,  and  the  wind  continued  from  the  south  at 
the  rate  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  per  hour.  The  outside 
temperature  was  balmy  and  bracing  during  the  day,  so  that 
the  balcony  afforded  them  a  splendid  promenade,  where 
they  spent  hours  daily,  exercising  in  walking  round  and 
round  the  spacious  cabin,  and  studying  the  topography  of 
the  country.  Frequent  trips  were  also  made  to  the  observ 
atory,  and  sitting  there  with  the  windows  open  was  very 


DR.  .JONES'  PICNIC.  57 

inspiring,  as  well  as  comfortable.  To  thus  sit  in  so  elevated 
a  place  with  the  windows  wide  open,  while  in  a  state  of 
perspiration,  the  result  of  climbing  the  long  stairway,  would 
seem  to  have  been  the  height  of  imprudence.  But  we 
must  remember  that  such  a  thing  as  a  breeze  or  draft  of  air 
wan  never  felt  on  board  the  Silver  Cloud  while  in  motion. 
The  great  ship  went  exactly  with  the  wind,  and  at  precisely 
the  same  rate  of  speed.  So,  whether  the  wind  blew  one  or 
a  hundred  miles  an  hour,  it  was  always  a  dead  calm  aboard 
the  Silver  Cloud. 

"This  is  the  ideal  place  for  all  catarrhal  and  pulmonary 
cases/'  declared  Dr.  Jones.  "I  shall  always  prescribe  a  trip 
in  Silver  Cloud  for  this  class  of  patients  hereafter." 

"I  fully  believe  in  its  efficacy,"  said  Professor  Gray. 
"But  I  fear  that  it  will  be  too  expensive  a  prescription  for 
many  of  your  poor  patients." 

"That's  the  trouble,  that's  the  trouble,"  assented  the 
Doctor,  shaking  his  head  sadly.  "Millions  are  yearly  dy 
ing  that  might  be  saved  by  this  and  other  means  on  the 
same  line.  But  the  blindness  and  selfishness  of  mankind 
is  so  absolute  and  infernal  that  but  little  philanthropic 
work  of  this  sort  can  be  done.  There  are  some  noble  ex 
ceptions,  or  we  should  have  suffered  the  fate  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  long  since." 

"But,  Doctor,  you  believe  that  the  world  is  getting  bet 
ter,  do  you  not?"  asked  Will. 

"In  what  way?" 

"Well,  in  every  way.  No  one  can  doubt  that  in  the 
arts  and  sciences  more  has  been  done  in  the  past  fifty  years 
than  in  all  the  previous  history  of  the  world." 

"Granted,"  assented  the  Doctor. 

"All  right.  Then  let  us  look  at  the  social,  moral,  and 
spiritual  sides  of  the  question.  Socially,  certainly,  no 
period  of  history  can  compare  with  the  present.  We  are 
educating  our  children,  feeding  and  clothing  them  better 
than  they  ever  were  before  in  the  world." 

"I  really  think  we  are,"  again  assented  Dr.  Jones. 

"Well,  then,"  cried  Will,  glowing  with  triumph,  think 
ing  that  he  was  fairly  smoking  the  little  Doctor  out,  "what 
can  you  say  for  your  side  of  the  question?  Was  there  ever 
a  time  when  life  and  property  were  so  protected  as  now? 
And  were  there  ever  so  many  Bibles  and  tracts  and  other 


58  I>R-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

religious  matter  published  and  disseminated  as  at  the  pres 
ent  time?  Missionaries  are  going  by  thousands  all  over  the 
earth,  and  the  gospel  will  soon  have  been  preached  to  all 
nations." 

"That's  so,  that's  so"  concurred  the  Doctor  again. 

"Come,  come,  Doctor;  defend  your  side  of  the  ques 
tion,"  cried  Fred. 

"I  did  not  know  that  I  had  committed  myself  to  either 
side,"  returned  he.  "But  I  will  say  this  much:  While  I 
am  not  pessimistic  as  to  the  outcome  of  this  struggle  go 
ing  on  between  God's  and  Satan's  forces  in  the  world,  yet 
we  should  not  overlook  the  fact  that  the  devil  is  fearfully 
active  in  these  times.  While  I  have  admitted  all  that  Will 
has  said,  yet  there  is  another  side  to  the  question.  Let  me 
call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  never  was  a  time 
when  there  was  so  much  rum  and  tobacco  used  in  the  world 
as  to-day.  The  amount  consumed  per  capita  is  increasing 
tremendously.  Remember  that  with  every  missionary  there 
are  sent  in  the  same  ship  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred 
gallons  of  intoxicants,  and  tobacco  galore.  Never  has  this 
world  seen  so  vast  preparation  for  war.  The  people  of  all 
Europe  are  groaning  beneath  the  taxation  imposed  upon 
them  for  the  support  of  vast  armies  and  navies.  At  no 
time  has  money  been  piled  up  in  the  hands  of  the  few  as 
at  the  present.  Hundreds  of  millions  in  many  instances 
are  held  by  a  single  individual.  By  no  sort  of  philosophy 
can  he  be  entitled  to  it,  and  by  no  system  can  he  come  into 
possession  of  it  without  robbing  thousands  of  his  fellow- 
men.  And  as  to  inventions:  surely  no  man  delights  more 
in  the  splendid  achievements  of  our  age  in  this  direction 
than  I  do.  But  I  declare  to  you  that  I  believe  labor-saving 
machinery  to  be  a  mighty  curse  to  mankind,  because  the  la 
borer  is  being  driven  closer  and  closer  to  the  wall  by  the  in 
numerable  inventions  that  are  driving  him  out  of  every 
field  of  labor.  The  great  money  kings  are  taking  advan 
tage  of  every  such  invention,  and  what  the  end  is  to  be  I 
do  not  dare  predict.  Ignatius  Donnely's  fearful  picture  in 
his  work,Caeser's  Column,  I  hope  and  believe  to  be  terribly 
overdrawn.  And,  as  I  said  before,  I  am  not  pessimistic 
as  to  the  final  outcome;  but  let  us  beware  of  crying  Teace! 
peace!  when  there  is  no  peace!'  The  fact  is,  gentlemen,  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  St.  James  referred  to  these  very 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  59 

times,  when  he  said  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  his  epistle:  "Go 
to  now,  ye  rich  men,  weep  and  howl  for  the  miseries  that 
shall  come  upon  you.  Your  riches  are  corrupted  and  your 
garments  are  moth-eaten.  Your  gold  and  silver  is  can 
kered;  and  the  rust  of  them  shall  be  a  witness  against  you, 
and  shall  eat  your  flesh  as  it  were  fire.  Ye  have  heaped  up 
treasure  together  for  the  last  days.  Behold,  the  hire  of  the 
laborers  who  have  reaped  down  your  fields,  which  is  of  you 
kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth:  and  the  cries  of  them  who  have 
reaped  are  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabbaoth." 
See  James,  5-4.  I  cannot,  in  the  light  of  these  prophecies, 
see  that  the  world  is  growing  essentially  better  rapidly,  if 
at  all." 

"But,  Doctor,"  said  Will,  "you  cannot  deny  that  the 
children  of  these  times  are  incomparably  better  clothed, 
have  more  and  better  books,  live  in  more  comfortable 
homes,  and  are  enjoying  privileges  never  known  to  children 
of  former  generations." 

"While  I  must  assent  to  what  you  have  said,  yet  all  these 
advantages  are  not  unmixed  blessings.  In  my  experience 
as  a  physician,  I  have  seen  very  many  precious  lives  go  out, 
simply  because  they  could  not  endure  the  high  pressure  sys 
tem  of  our  modern  educators.  I  feel  so  strongly  upon  this 
subject  that  I  would  prefer  that  a  child  of  mine  should  live 
and  die  absolutely  illiterate,  than  that  he  should  sacrifice 
one  particle  of  health  for  any  conceivable  amount  of  mere 
book-learning.  I  once  had  an  uncle  who  was  a  man  of 
wonderful  learning.  He  was  a  collegian,  a  master  of  half 
a  dozen  or  more  languages,  and  for  all  this  he  paid  the 
price  of  his  good  health.  All  his  life,  he  suffered  the  pangs 
of  an  outraged  stomach  and  nervous  system.  He  could 
never  make  any  use  of  his  splendidly  cultivated  brain,  and 
was  a  miserable,  unhappy  burden  to  himself  and  friends  to 
the  end  of  his  life.  His  end  was  sad,  tinged  with  the  ele 
ment  of  ridiculousness.  He  was  sitting  in  a  field  one  day, 
resting  during  a  short  walk,  when  a  great  vicious  hog  at 
tacked  him,  tossed  him  about,  rooted  him  here  and  there, 
and  would  have  certainly  killed  him  outright  if  his  cries 
had  not  brought  assistance.  He  never  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  the  injuries  received  on  that  occasion.  Suppose 
poor  old  uncle  could  at  that  time  have  traded  all  his  dead 
and  modern  languages  for  a  pair  of  good  stout  legs,  would 
it  not  have  been  a  grand  bargain  for  him?" 


60  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"But  could  not  your  uncle  have  been  more  judicious  and 
systematic  in  the  prosecution  of  his  studies,  and  have  done 
the  same  amount  of  work  without  detriment  to  his  health?" 
asked  Professor  Gray. 

"I  do  not  doubt  that  he  might.  But  our  schools  are  run 
nowadays  upon,  as  I  said  before,  a  high-pressure  system. 
Too  many  children  are  packed  into  imperfectly  ventilated 
schoolrooms,  and  the  poor  teachers  are  miserably  over 
taxed.  But  the  schools  are  graded,  everything  cut  and 
dried,  the  curriculum  made  by  state  or  county  board;  and, 
like  the  tyrant's  bedstead,  those  too  long  must  be  cut  off, 
and  those  too  short  must  be  stretched.  All  must  fit  the 
bedstead.  That  great  story-teller,  Charles  Dickens,  tells 
the  story  exactly  in  his  picture  of  Dr.  Blimmer's  system  of 
teaching.  That  poor  babe,  Paul  Dombey,  might  as  well 
have  been  fed  to  an  insatiable  ogre  as  to  have  been  placed 
in  the  hands  of  that  pompous  idiot.  And  our  country 
is  full  of  little  Paul  Dombeys,  blossoming  for  eternity. 
How  much  better  to  have  let  the  poor  little  fellow  play 
in  the  sands  upon  the  beach  with  his  sister  Florence  and 
old  Glubb.  But  the  precocious  innocent  must  be  mur 
dered  by  this  same  senseless  system,  because  of  the  inor 
dinate  vanity  of  a  foolish  father,  and  the  stupidity  of 
his  teacher.  In  vain  have  I  warned  hundreds  of  parents, 
when  I  saw  their  children  thus  being  hurried  to  prema 
ture  graves.  But  they  are  so  proud  of  the  precocious  dar 
lings  that  they  seldom  heed  until  it  is  too  late.  Faugh! 
the  whole  business  makes  me  sick." 

"Well,  Doctor,  admitting  all  you  say,  what  do  you  sug 
gest  as  the  remedy?  I  have  known  many  statesmen  who 
could  see  and  point  out  the  evils,  present  or  imminent,  of 
society  or  state,  with  great  sagacity  and  accuracy,  but 
when  it  came  to  prescribing  the  remedy,  were  utterly  im 
practicable,"  said  Professor  Gray. 

"That  is  right,  Professor  Gray.  It  is  very  little  benefit 
to  a  sick  man  to  tell  him  that  he  is  sick,  or  even  to  make 
for  him  a  scientific  diagnosis,  if  it  be  not  supplemented  by 
the  remedy.  I  have  remedial  measures  to  suggest.  In 
the  first  place,  I  would  build  schoolhouses  upon  strictly 
scientific  principles;  a  certain  number  of  cubic  yards  of 
pure  air  should  be  allowed  each  scholar,  and  the  most  per 
fect  system  of  ventilation  should  always  be  used.  Fur- 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  61 

ther,  by  way  of  homely  illustration,  I  should  treat  the 
children  upon  the  same  principles  that  we  do  our  horses. 
Some  horses  are  calculated  for  heavy  draught  business, 
others  for  light  draught,  roadsters,  racers,  etc.  I  need 
not  mention  the  folly  of  attempting  to  drive  these  ani 
mals  out  of  their  respective  classes.  Now  children  dif 
fer  as  essentially  in  their  mental  capacities  and  require 
ments  as  do  horses  physically.  You  can  by  no  possible 
means  make  a  mathematician  of  a  scholar  who  is  deficient 
in  the  organ  of  calculation.  It  is  a  manifest  injustice  to 
hitch  such  a  one  beside  another  who  is  a  perfect  racer  in 
the  mathematical  field.  It  is  not  fair  to  either  of  them. 
I  claim  that  each  child  should  be  treated  upon  his  indi 
vidual  merits,  and  in  acordance  with  the  natural  gifts 
that  God  has  bestowed  upon  him.  The  graded  school 
system  is  in  direct  opposition  to  this  idea,  and  is  wholly 
wrong  and  unscientific/' 

"Well,  as  to  the  curriculum,  Doctor/'  said  Will,  "sup 
pose  you  were  called  upon  to  abridge  the  list  of  studies  in 
our  public  schools,  where  would  you  begin  and  end?  Isn't 
it  a  pity  in  this  age  of  the  world,  to  shut  off  from  the  chil 
dren  any  one  of  the  branches  of  science  or  learning?" 

"Indeed,  that  would  be  a  great  pity,  and  far  be  it  from 
me  to  do  anything  of  the  kind.  I  would  not  abridge  the 
curriculum  for  any  child;  it  should  simply  be  taught  that 
for  which  it  has  a  capacity.  A  teacher  who  is  not  capable 
of  so  discriminating  and  anticipating  the  wants  of  each 
pupil,  is  not  a  teacher  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  any 
more  than  a  man  is  a  horse  trainer  who  cannot  differen 
tiate  between  a  heavy  draught-horse  and  a  light  roadster. 
I  might  say  considerable  as  to  methods  of  teaching,  but  I 
presmne  that  you  have  heard  enough  for  once." 

"Yes,  but  we  have  not  settled  the  question  as  to  wheth 
er  the  world  is  getting  better  or  not,"  returned  Will.  "I 
am  willing  to  admit  that  our  school  system  is  defective. 
But  what  do  you  say  as  to  the  safety  of  life  and  prop 
erty  at  this  time,  compared  with  any  other  age  of  the 
world?" 

"Really,  now,  I  wish  an  intelligent  Armenian  were  here 
to  answer  that  question." 

"But  that  is  not  fair,  Doctor.  The  Armenians  are  in 
the  hands  of  the  Turks  and  we  know  that  they  are  capable 


62  I>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

of  any  conceivable  inhumanity.  I  supposed  that  we  were 
discussing  the  world  so  far  as  civilized.  I  really  think 
that  it  is  a  clear  case  of  'begging  the  question/  when  you 
introduce  the  Armenian  case  into  the  discussion." 

"Do  you,  indeed!  And  let  me  inquire,  my  dear  boy, 
who  is  responsible  for  this  wholesale  slaughter  of  a  people 
whose  only  crime  is  that  of  being  nominal  Christians? 
Five  or  six  centuries  ago  the  combined  governments  of 
Europe  would  have  made  common  cause  against  the  in 
famous  Turk  for  much  less  than  the  murder  of  a  Chris 
tian  nation.  But  to-day  there  is  so  much  less  of  man 
hood  in  Europe  than  there  was  in  the  days  of  chivalry, 
that  the  civilized  world  is  sitting  calmly  by  and  permit 
ting  this  unspeakable  crime  to  go  on  at  the  sweet  will  of 
the  bloody-handed  Turk.  And  do  you  not  think  that 
God  will  hold  the  nations  of  Europe  to  a  strict  account 
for  this  villiany  that  marks  the  closing  decade  of  the 
nineteenth  century  as  the  blackest  page  in  human  his 
tory?  God  will  surely  avenge  Armenia,  and  woe  to  Eu 
rope  when  He  treads  the  wine-press  of  His  wrath!" 

As  Will  offered  no  reply,  the  discussion  closed. 


DE.  JONES'  PICNIC.  63 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Greenland's  Icy  Mountains  and  the  Russian  Bear, 

Upon  the  morning  of  the  third  day  from  Constance 
House  the  wind  shifted  almost  due  west.  Silver  Cloud 
was  in  latitude  65  deg.,  longitude  70  deg.  13  min.,  and 
they  were  driving  rapidly  toward  Greenland. 

"We  are  still  two  or  three  points  north  of  east  in  our 
course,  and  will  let  her  drive  as  she  goes  for  the  present," 
said  Dr.  Jones.  "And  you  wouldn't  mind  seeing  Green 
land's  icy  mountains,  about  which  you  have  sung  so  many 
years,  would  you,  girls?" 

"0  let  us  see  Greenland,  by  all  means,  Doctor!"  cried 
Mattie. 

"What  noted  travelers  we  will  be  when  we  get  back  to 
Washington,"  and  he  placed  an  arm  about  each  of  their 
waists  and  galloped  them  up  and  down  the  little  sitting 
room  several  times. 

"I  do  believe  that  you  grow  to  be  more  of  a  boy  every 
year  of  your  life,"  panted  Mrs.  Jones,  as  she  smoothed  her 
rumpled  hair. 

"You  are  quite  right,  Maggie;  and  what  is  worse,  I  do 
not  expect  to  ever  improve  a  bit  on  that  line.  Give  me 
the  heart  of  a  boy  while  I  live.  And  now,  Professor,  I 
am  ready  to  give  you  revenge  for  that  last  game  or  two  of 
chess  that  went  to  my  credit." 

While  these  two  were  oblivious  to  the  world  in  a  very 
closely  contested  game,  Mrs.  Jones  sat  knitting  while 
Mattie  read  aloud  to  her  from  a  late  magazine.  Denison 
and  Fred  were  pacing  the  balcony  for  their  "constitution 
al."  Will  was  working  on  his  oil  painting  of  Jennie  Bar 
ton,  and  so  beautifully  had  he  succeeded  in  bringing  out 
the  lovely  features,  and  trusting,  fearless  spirit  that 
beamed  from  a  pair  of  dark  blue  eyes,  that  all  the  com 
pany,  even  to  Sing,  expressed  their  unqualified  admira 
tion. 


64  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"Me  sabe,"  said  the  acute  Mongolian.  "Ah!  Will  heap 
likee  Miss  Jennie." 

The  artist  blushed,  and  they  all  laughed  uproariously 
at  his  confusion,  and  Sing  went  chuckling  to  the  kitchen. 

The  following  morning  Silver  Cloud  had  nearly  crossed 
Davis  Strait,  and  the  bold  headlands  of  the  western  coast 
of  Greenland  were  in  plain  view.  They  crossed  the  west 
ern  boundary  line  of  that  land  of  perpetual  winter,  just  a 
few  miles  north  of  the  Arctic  Circle. 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Dr.  Jones.  "In  the  Arctics  at  last!" 

The  wind  held  still  a  little  north  of  due  east,  and  Silver 
Cloud  rode  at  an  elevation  of  between  3,500  and  4,000 
feet.  The  surface  of  Greenland  was  cold,  dreary,  and  un 
inviting  to  a  degree.  Vast  tracts  of  ice  and  snow  stretched 
in  every  direction,  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  Away  in  the 
interior  a  range  of  mountains  broke  the  monotony  of  the 
landscape.  Toward  morning  a  violent  snowstorm  gath 
ered  below  them  and  hid  the  face  of  Greenland  from  view 
until  next  morning.  Silver  Cloud,  meantime,  was  sent 
up  to  nearly  5,000  feet  altitude,  so  that  they  might  not 
collide  with  any  mountain  peak  during  the  night. 

"Upon  my  word,"  said  Professor  Gray,  as  he  stood 
on  the  balcony  the  following  morning,  and  looked 
out  over  the  white  and  ghastly  picture  of  desolation,  "I 
thought  Labrador  the  most  inappropriately  named  coun 
try  upon  the  earth,  but  think  of  calling  this  picture  of  all 
that  is  inhospitable  and  forbidding — Greenland!" 

By  noon  they  were  crossing  swiftly  the  ridge  that  runs 
the  length  of  Greenland,  so  far  as  is  known.  Silver  Cloud 
swept  within  three  hundred  feet  of  one  lofty  peak,  cov 
ered  with  eternal  ice  and  snow.  Then  on  and  on,  swift; 
•  as  an  eagle,  over  the  high  plateaux  and  steppes  of  Eastern 
Greenland.  Early  the  following  morning  they  arose  to 
find  the  Arctic  Ocean  beneath,  and  Greenland  disappear 
ing  in  the  misty  horizon  behind  them.  The  wind  bore  a 
point  or  so  more  easterly,  and  Dr.  Jones  was  tempted  to 
seek  a  more  favorable  current.  He  descended  to  the 
2,000  foot  level,  but  experienced  no  perceptible  change. 

"Well,  we'll  stick  to  my  original  plan.  Anything 
north  of  due  east  or  west  is  good  enough  for  us,"  said  he. 

"But  he  grew  restless  as  they  hour  after  hour  steadily 
continued  upon  nearly  the  same  latitudinal  line,  and  de- 


DR.  JON7ES'  PICNIC.  65 

scended  to  1,000  feet  elevation.  There  was  some  change 
for  the  better  at  that  altitude  for  many  hours.  One  thing 
that  specially  pleased  them  was  the  wonderful  sensitive 
ness  of  the  globe  to  the  slightest  variation  of  the  tempera 
ture  within  its  interior.  The  Doctor's  plan  of  using  hot 
air  alone  as  the  floating  power  had  been  modified  to  the 
extent  of  dividing  one-half  of  the  globe's  interior  into 
several  compartments  by  thin  sheets  of  aluminum,  and 
these  were  filled  with  hydrogen  gas.  The  gas  fell  but  little 
short  of  the  power  necessary  to  float  the  ship,  so  that  a 
slight  elevation  of  the  temperature  in  the  air  chamber 
above  that  of  the  external  atmosphere  was  sufficient  to 
float  the  vessel.  When  it  was  desirable  to  descend,  a  trap 
being  opened  in  the  upper  and  lower  parts  of  the  air 
chamber  caused  the  hot  air  to  rush  out  and  the  cold  air 
in,  and  the  descent  could  be  made  rapidly  or  slowly,  at  the 
will  of  the  commander.  By  virtue  of  the  zinc  lining  of 
the  air  chamber  the  temperature  would  remain  at  a  given 
point  for  many  hours  without  the  consumption  of  a  par 
ticle  of  fuel. 

The  Doctor  and  Will  together  had  devised  a  most  in 
genious  method  of  heating  the  hot-air  chamber  instantly. 
By  the  use  of  a  small  air  pump  hundreds  of  atmospheres 
could  be  compressed  into  a  very  strong  aluminum  chest 
or  cylinder.  Beneath  this  cylinder  were  -a  number  of 
burners  that  heated  the  compressed  air  several  hundred 
degrees.  As  we  said  before,  when  they  desired  to  de 
scend,  an  upper  and  lower  trap  were  opened,  the  hot  air 
rushed  out  above  and  the  cold  air  in  below,  causing  the 
globe  to  descend  with  great  rapidity.  This  descent  could 
be  arrested  at  any  level  by  closing  the  trap,  and  a  certain 
amount  of  the  air  let  off  from  the  hot-air  chest,  and  any 
temperature  desired  could  be  attained  at  once.  All  this 
could  be  done  at  an  expense  of  oil  that  was  ridiculously 
and  incredibly  small.  While  they  could  by  no  means 
steer  or  guide  this  ship,  yet,  if  the  Doctor's  theory  of  air 
currents  should  prove  to  be  scientifically  correct,  then 
they  were  by  no  means  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  any  and 
every  adverse  gale.  And,  at  the  worst,  when  a  favorable 
current  could  not  be  found,  they  could  descend  to  the 
earth  and  anchor  until  a  fair  wind  prevailed.  One  thing 
further  should  be  explained.  When  it  became  desirable 

5 


66  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

to  ascend  suddenly  or  rapidly,  the  hot-air  chest  was 
thrown  completely  open,  and  the  vast  chamber  was  in 
stantly  filled  with  air  at  any  temperature  required.  When 
this  operation  was  from  any  cause  necessary,  the  upper 
trap  was  closed  and  all  the  lower  apertures  opened.  The 
hot  air  from  the  chest  immediately  mounted  to  the  upper 
end  of  the  air  chamber,  and  forced  the  excess  of  cold  at 
mosphere  out  through  these  lower  traps.  The  effect  up 
on  the  globe  was  marvelous.  It  would  bound  skyward 
like  a  rocket.  By  a  series  of  experiments  Will  had  ascer 
tained  just  the  amount  of  pressure  per  square  inch  and 
the  temperature  that  was  necessary  to  send  the  ship  to  a 
given  altitude.  The  rate  of  ascent  was  under  perfect 
control  by  letting  off  the  hot  air  slowly  or  rapidly. 

"What  a  mighty  engine  for  good  or  evil  in  the  world 
this  ship  would  be,  if  it  could  be  guided  or  steered/7  re 
marked  Professor  Gray. 

"I  doubt  if  that  can  ever  be  done,"  replied  Will.  The 
surface  presented  to  the  current  of  atmosphere  is  too 
great  to  allow  any  sort  of  device  to  operate  satisfactorily." 
"The  Government  is  making  experiments  with  what  is 
called  the  aeroplane,  and  the  indications  are  that  it  is  the 
coming  method  of  aerial  navigation.  But  the  degree  of 
comfort  that  we  are  enjoying  can  never  be  an  attendant  of 
that  plan.  I  shall  never  cease  to  wonder  at  the  speed 
with  which  we  are  traveling  over  these  Arctic  regions  in 
perfect  comfort.  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life,  and  I 
have  grown  to  feel  as  safe  as  I  ever  did  in  my  home  in 
Washington/'  said  Professor  Gray. 

They  occasionally  saw  whales  spouting,  and  it  was  ex 
ceedingly  interesting  to  watch  the  great  icebergs  that 
floated  here  and  there  over  the  face  of  the  deep.  Some  of 
them  towered  like  crystal  mountains,  hundreds  of  feet 
into  the  air. 

"Just  think  how  incomprehensibly  great  these  masses  of 
ice  are/'  observed  Professor  Gray.  "It  is  estimated  that 
but  one-eighth  of  the  berg  protrudes  above  the  surface. 
Now  look  at  that  monster!  Not  less  than  eighteen  or 
twenty  miles  long,  and  from  five  to  six  hundred  feet  high, 
making  it  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  mile  in  thickness. 
Ah!  see  that  big  fellow  turning  over!  Did  you  ever  see 
anything  so  grand!  I  don't  wonder  that  navigating  these 
seas  is  next  to  impossible." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  67 

They  were  all  standing  upon  the  balcony  when  they  be 
held  this  startling  scene. 

For  two  whole  days  the  beautiful  ship  continued  stead 
ily  upon  nearly  the  same  course.  The  Professor  pointed 
out  their  position  upon  the  map  at  latitude  70  deg.  35 
min.,  and  longitude  50  deg.  20  min.,  East  Greenwich.  At 
this  point  they  encountered  a  terrible  gale  from  the 
north.  The  Doctor  raised  higher  and  higher,  until  they 
reached  an  altitude  of  ten  thousand  feet.  Still  they  flew 
at  amazing  speed  toward  the  south.  He  ascended  to  fif 
teen  thousand,  then  twenty  thousand  feet  elevation,  but 
on  they  went  into  the  heart  of  Russia.  Will  went  up  into 
the  globe  and  hurriedly  returned. 

"You  must  lower.  Doctor!  The  strain  upon  the  rods  is 
tremendous!  The  outside  atmospheric  resistance  is  so 
slight  at  this  elevation  that  we  shall  certainly  explode  if 
you  ascend  any  higher." 

"Then  we  will  descend  and  anchor  at  the  first  favorable 
spot,  and  there  await  a  south  wind.  There  seems  to  be  a 
great  demand  for  air  at  the  equator  just  now.  Well,  let 
them  have  it/'  said  he  grimly,  "but  we  are  sure  to  get  a 
regurgitation  in  our  direction  before  many  days.  So  down 
we  go  to  study  Russian  habits  and  customs/'* 

The  upper  and  lower  traps  were  opened  in  the  air 
chamber,  and  they  rapidly  descended  to  within  five  or  six 
hundred  feet  of  the  earth.  They  could  plainly  see  that 
the  foliage  was  being  thrashed  with  great  violence  by  the 
gale. 

"How  shall  we  manage  to  safely  anchor  in  this  awful 
wind,  Doctor?"  asked  Will  anxiously. 

"Do  vou  see  that  high  range  of  hills  just  ahead?" 

"Yes/' 

"Well,  they  run  east  and  west.  We  will  drop  immedi 
ately  upon  the  other  side  of  them.  There  it  must  be  com 
paratively  calm.  But  sharp  is  the  word!  We  are  there 
now!" 

Downward  dropped  the  great  ship  behind  the  shelter 
ing  crest  of  the  hills,  and  she,  in  a  moment  or  two,  was 
skimming  quite  easily  along,  just  above  the  treetops.  In 
what  appeared  to  be  a  great  park,  the  anchor  was  dropped 
into  the  top  of  a  tree.  It  held  securely,  and  Will  and 
Denison  descended  in  the  cage  and  made  a  very  strong 


68  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

aluminum  cable  fast  about  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  After 
all  was  made  secure,  Dr.  Jones  and  Professor  Gray  also 
descended.  The  little  company  then  began  looking 
around  for  signs  of  life. 

"I  see  a  large  stone  building  down  this  avenue,"  cried 
Will. 

"The  Professor  and  I  will  prospect  the  place,  while  you 
two  had  better  remain  here  until  our  return,"  said  the 
Doctor. 

Accordingly  they  set  off  at  a  lively  pace  toward  the 
building.  As  they  approached  it  they  looked  in  vain  for 
signs  of  human  life.  They  found  it  to  be  a  massive  an 
cient  castle,  standing  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  grove 
or  park.  They  were  somewhat  awed  by  the  deathlike  si 
lence  that  pervaded  the  place.  They,  however,  stepped 
up  to  a  massive  oaken  door,  and  Dr.  Jones  seized  the  pon 
derous  iron  knocker  and  struck  several  vigorous  blows. 
They  waited  two  or  three  minutes,  but  could  hear  no 
sounds  within. 

"We  have  struck  an  enchanted  castle,  and  I  must  see  if 
I  cannot  awake  the  Sleeping  Beauty  within,"  said  Dr. 
Jones,  and  he  was  about  to  apply  the  knocker  again,  when 
a  deep  bass  voice  from  a  window  above  addressed  them  in 
a  language  with  which  they  were  unfamiliar. 

"We  cannot  speak  your  language.  Do  you  speak  Eng 
lish?"  asked  Dr.  Jones. 

"Are  you  men,  angels,  or  devils,  and  what  do  you 
want,"  returned  the  voice  in  fairly  good  English. 

The  Doctor  hastened  to  give  the  desired  information, 
and  told  who  they  were,  etc.,  concisely  as  possible. 

"What  is  that  fearful  and  wonderful  silver  ball  or  globe 
in  which  you  dropped  from  the  skies  among  us?" 

After  further  explanations  the  bars  were  removed,  and 
the  massive  door  swung  slowly  open.  There  stood  before 
them  a  large,  black-bearded  man,  holding  by  the  collars 
two  large  Russian  hounds.  The  brutes  growled  and 
showed  their  horrid  fangs  in  a  way  that  made  the  visitors 
cringe  and  draw  back. 

"Please  restrain  your  dogs,  sir,  for  our  mission  is  a  per 
fectly  peaceful  one,"  said  Dr.  Jones;  and  he  smiled  so 
blandly  that  the  man  seemed  to  dismiss  his  apprehen 
sions.  "  He  gave  a  signal  which  summoned  two  men,  to 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  69 

whom  he  consigned  the  dogs,  and  they  were  led  away.  He 
now  invited  them  to  enter,  and  gave  them  seats  in  an  ad 
joining  room. 

"Gentlemen,  I  am  Count  Icanovich,  and  this  is  my  cas 
tle.  I  welcome  you  to  its  hospitalities.  You  must  excuse 
the  reception  we  gave  you,  for  I  must  confess  that  I  have 
never  been  so  startled  in  my  life  as  when  I  saw  your  ex 
traordinary  ship  come  swooping  down  upon  us  a  few  mo 
ments  ago.  Half  my  people  are  in  fits,  or  hidden  away  in 
all  sorts  of  holes  and  corners." 

"I  am  exceedingly  sorry,  Count,  to  have  come  so  abrupt 
ly  and  informally  among  you,  but  I  assure  you  that  we  are 
here  very  much  against  our  own  wishes.  We  are  bound 
for  the  North  Pole,  but  this  terrible  gale  from  the  north 
necessitated  our  anchoring  for  the  present.  But  since 
fate  has  cast  us  among  you,  I  am  very  happy  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  Count  Icanovich.  I  am  Dr.  Jones  of 
Washington  City,  United  States,  and  this  is  Professor 
Gray,  of  Smithsonian  Institute,  same  city." 

The  Count  shook  hands  with  them  very  cordially,  and 
asked,  "How  many  are  there  of  your  party?"  Upon  be 
ing  told,  he  immediately  desired  that  they  all  be  brought 
to  the  castle. 

"We  see  but  little  of  the  world  in  this  place,"  said  he, 
"and  we  hail  this  break  in  the  humdrum  monotony  of  our 
life  with  extreme  pleasure." 

The  two  gentlemen  returned  appropriate  acknowledg 
ments  of  the  Count's  kindness,  and  arose  to  return  to  the 
globe  for  the  company. 

"Will  you  accompany  us  to  the  ship?"  asked  Dr.  Jones. 

"I  thank  you,  but  I  am  a  victim  of  sciatic  rheumatism, 
and  can  do  but  little  walking,"  returned  the  Count.  <fl 
hope,  however,  before  you  leave  us,  to  be  able  to  inspect 
your  wonderful  air-ship." 

"Is  your  sciatica  of  long  standing?"  inquired  Dr.  Jones, 
all  the  instincts  of  a  good  physician  being  aroused  at  the 
presence  of  suffering;  and  running  over  in  his  mind  a  list 
of  remedies  from  force  of  long  habit. 

"About  three  years.  I  contracted  it  from  getting  wet 
when  warm.  I  am  incurable,  and  must  grin  and  bear  to 
the  end." 

"'Do  you  feel  better  quiet,  or  when  moving  about?" 


70  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"Oh!  I  must  move  about.  I  usually  put  in  hours  at 
night  hobbling  up  and  down  my  room." 

"The  bed  feels  so  hard  that  you  cannot  find  an  easy 
spot  to  lie  on.  You  are  always  worse  before  storms.  Af 
ter  sitting  a  little  while  you  stiffen  up,  feeling  much  bet 
ter  after  moving  about.  The  tendons  of  your  legs  have  a 
drawing  sensation,  and  feel  as  if  too  short.  There  is  more 
or  less  of  numbness  and  paralysis,  and  a  wooden  sort 
of  feeling  of  the  leg  when  walking.  You  also  have  light 
ning-like  shocks  of  pain  through  the  limb,  now  and  then. 
Your  attacks  come  on  every  few  weeks,  and  it  is  the  left 
limb  that  is  affected.  You  can  be  cured." 

The  doctor  rattled  these  symptoms  off  with  great  volu 
bility.  The  Count  looked  at  him  with  open-eyed  wonder. 
The  professor  was  not  less  astonished  at  the  positiveness 
with  which  Dr.  Jones  thus  detailed  the  Count's  symptoms 
without  any  previous  knowledge  of  the  case. 

"Whether  you  be  angel  or  devil,  I  do  not  know;  but 
certain  it  is  that  you  have  told  my  symptoms  better  than 
I  could  have  done  myself.  But  you  make  a  bold  assertion 
when  you  say  that  I  can  be  cured.  Do  you  know,  man, 
that  I  have  had  the  best  advice  in  Europe,  and  have  spent 
a  fortune  seeking  relief?" 

"Are  you  takng  medicine  now,  sir?" 

"No.  I  have  thrown  physic  to  the  dogs,  and  may  God 
have  mercy  on  the  dogs.  I  am  thoroughly  disgusted  with 
physic  and  physicians.  And  why  should  I  not  be?  Sev 
eral  years  since,  I  saw  my  wife  die  of  pulmonary  consump 
tion.  And  now  my  only  child  lies  in  a  chamber  above, 
well  advanced  in  the  same  terrible,  wholly  incurable  dis 
ease.  As  if  this  were  not  enough,  I  myself  am  suffering 
the  pangs  of  h — 1  with  a  lingering,  incurable  complaint, 
Why  shouldn't  I  detest  the  whole  lying,  infernal  busi 
ness?"  he  roared,  striking  the  floor  savagely  with  his  cane. 

"Sure  enough,  sure  enough,"  said  the  Doctor  sooth 
ingly  and  sympathetically.  "I  do  not  blame  you  in  the 
least.  But  we  will  see  if  something  cannot  be  done  for 
you,  Count.  I  believe  in  my  soul  that  I  can  cure  you, 
and  that  right  speedily.  Let  us  now  hasten  back,  for 
our  people  will  be  alarmed  at  our  long  absence." 

They  found  them  indeed  wondering  and  anxious.  All 
immediately  descended  and  repaired  to  the  castle.  The 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  71 

Count  met  them  at  the  door,  and,  after  a  formal  intro 
duction  to  each,  led  them  to  a  large,  quite  modernly  fur 
nished  drawing-room. 

"Now,"  said  the  Count,  "please  make  yourselves  at 
home.  I  intend  that  you  shall  be  my  guests  while  you 
remain  in  this  vicinity.  You  will  be  shown  to  your 
rooms  in  a  few  moments.  You  will  please  excuse  me 
now,  and  I  will  see  you  at  dinner,  which  will  be  at  six 
o'clock." 

He  was  about  leaving    the   room,    limping   painfully, 
when  Dr.  Jones  stepped  up  to  him,  and,  pulling  a  small  vial 
from  his  vest  pocket,  said:  "Put  out  your  tongue,  Count; 
I  wish  to  give  you  a  dose  of  medicine  that  will  cure  your 
sciatica." 

The  Count  looked  at  him  suspiciously  a  moment,  then 
sat  down  as  requested,  and  put  out  his  tongue.  Dr.  Jones 
shook  a  grain  or  two  of  powder  upon  it. 

"You  will  suffer  less  to-night  than  you  have  done  in  a 
long  time.  It  is  very  possible  that  this  one  dose  will  cure 
you  perfectly  and  permanently." 

"I  tell  you  frankly,  sir,  that  I  have  not  a  particle  of 
faith  in  your  minute,  tasteless  dose  affecting  me  in  the 
slightest,"  said  the  Count  with  a  half  angry  glare  in  his 
deep-set  black  eyes. 

"I  do  not  care  a  fig  for  your  faith,  sir,"  replied  Dr.  Jones 
in  his  independent  American  manner.  "Happily  for  you, 
this  is  not  a  Christian  Science  cure  that  I  am  performing. 
You  have  the  indicated  remedy  in  your  circulation  now; 
and  with  all  due  respect,  believe  what  you  please." 

The  company  of  friends  were  looking  on  anxiously, 
fearing  that  the  Doctor  was  too  brusque  with  the  noble 
man.  But  that  individual  smiled,  and  really  seemed  quite 
pleased  and  amused  at  Dr.  Jones'  positive,  straightforward 
way  of  doing  business. 

"Evidently  you  are  not  deficient  in  the  element  of  faith, 
Doctor,  and  I  can  but  wish  that  your  faith  may  not  be 
in  vain  in  this  instance." 

After  the  Count  had  withdrawn,  Professor  Gray  said: 
"Dr.  Jones,  I  do  not  at  all  understand  how  you  could  tell 
the  Count  his  symptoms  as  you  did,  without  any  previous 
knowledge  of  the  case.  Does  sciatic  rheumatism  always 
present  just  the  same  picture,  or  set  of  symptoms,  that 


72  I>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

you  should  be  able  to  so  rapidly  and   correctly   tell   his 
purely  subjective  sensations?" 

"Not  by  any  means,  Professor.  A  scientific  prescrip 
tion,  like  a  stool,  must  have  at  least  three  legs  to  stand 
upon.  You  will  remember  that  the  Count  had  already 
told  me  that  moving  about,  especially  at  night,  mitigated 
his  pains;  that  he  contracted  his  ailment  from  getting  wet; 
and  I  noticed  that  he  favored  the  left  leg  in  walking. 
These  were  the  three  legs  for  my  stool,  or  prescription.  I 
felt  positive  that  the  remedy  indicated  was  Rhus  Toxico- 
dendron.  So  I  merely  mentioned  the  leading  character 
istics  of  that  drug,  and  I  was  not  mistaken.  You 
see,  then,  that  I  did  nothing  marvelous  nor  super 
natural.  Now,  any  one  of  many  other  drugs  might 
have  been  indicated  if  the  symptoms  had  been  different 
from  what  they  were.  The  symptoms  of  the  disease 
mast  always  be  the  same  as  those  that  the  indicated  drug 
is  capable  of  producing  in  crude  doses.  Rhus  tox.  will 
cure  the  Count  because,  in  every  case  of  poisoning  by  that 
drug,  there  will  be  produced  the  symptoms  found  in  his 
case.  Like  cures  like.  This  is  a  universal  law  of  God. 
I  feel  quite  sure  that  the  Count  will  experience  great  ben 
efit  from  the  one  dose  I  have  given  him." 

"I  shall  watch  this  case  with  the  greatest  interest,"  said 
the  Professor.  "You  will  make  a  convert  of  me  to  your 
system  if  you  perform  a  cure  of  so  obstinate  and  painful  a 
disease  with  an  infinitesimal  dose  of  medicine." 

"All  right,  my  dear  sir.  I  always  feel  confident  of  a 
cure  when  the  symptoms  axe  clear  cut  as  in  this  instance." 

A  general  conversation  was  now  entered  into  for  a  few 
moments,  when  servants  entered  and  signaled  them  to  fol 
low,  and  each  was  conducted  to  a  comfortable  apartment. 
They  shortly  after  assembled  again  in  the  drawingroom 
and  awaited  the  announcement  of  dinner.  Fred  opened 
the  piano,  and  he  and  the  ladies  sang  a  trio.  They  were 
glad  when  a  servant  appeared  and  signaled  them  to  follow 
him  to  the  dining-room.  The  Count  was  the  only  Russian 
present  who  could  speak  English.  So  he  watched  care 
fully  and  interpreted  the  wants  of  his  guests  to  the  ser 
vants,  and  but  very  little  trouble  was  experienced.  They 
found  the  cooking  very  palatable,  and  their  mode  of  living 


DR.  .TONES'  PICNIC.  73 

aboard  Silver  Cloud  in  the  frosty  atmosphere  of  the  Arctic 
region  had  sharpened  their  appetites  enormously. 

The  Count  talked  with  them  about  their  journey,  and 
was  much  interested  in  the  graphic  accounts  given  by  the 
different  members  of  the  party  of  their  experiences.  Will 
explained  the  plan  and  construction  of  the  globe.  The 
Count  was  a  good  listener,  and  seemed  deeply  impressed 
with  all  that  was  said  upon  the  subject. 

"It  seems  to  me  incredible  that  you  were  so  short  a  time 
ago  in  Washington  City,  U.  S.,  and  are  now  sitting  at  my 
dining  table  in  the  heart  of  Russia.  And  think  of  the  cir 
cuitous  route  by  which  you  came!  Still  I  am  prepared  to 
believe  anything  when  I  look  at  yonder  wonderful  silver 
globe,  and  remember  how  you  dropped  among  us  from  the 
skies  as  you  did  to-day." 

After  dinner  Will  and  Denison  borrowed  a  lantern  and 
went  to  see  that  Silver  Cloud  was  all  right  for  the  night. 
The  wind  swayed  the  monster  ball  back  and  forward 
gently,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  great  strain  upon  the 
cables. 

"I  think  we  had  better  get  out  the  other  two  cables," 
said  Will.  "I  do  not  feel  quite  safe.  A  heavy  gust  might 
tear  it  away,  and  that  would  be  a  calamity  indeed." 

So  he  ascended  to  the  engine-room  and  passed  the  cable 
ends  to  Denison,  wHo  made  them  securely  fast  to  adjoining 
trees. 

A  very  enjoyable  evening  was  spent  in  the  great  draw 
ing-room.  Of  course  music  constituted  the  chief  source  of 
pleasure.  Fred  brought  his  anthem  and  glee  books  from 
the  cabin  of  Silver  Cloud,  and  the  old  walls  of  the  castle 
certainly  seldom,  if  ever,  rang  with  such  music  as  was  dis 
coursed  there  that  night.  The  domestics  had  so  far  re 
covered  from  their  fright  that  they  now  crowded  the  ad 
joining  hall  to  hear  the  singing.  So  ravishing  was  the 
harmony  to  their  semi-barbaric  ears  that,  conjoined  with 
the  marvelous  manner  of  their  coming  among  them,  these 
poor  creatures  were  ready  to  fall  down  and  worship  them 
as  heavenly  visitants  The  Count  himself  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  music  exceedingly,  and  encored  long  and  loudly.  When 
they  separated  for  the  night,  he  shook  hands  cordially  with 
each,  and  said: 


74  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"My  good  friends,  I  cannot  sufficiently  thank  you  for 
the  pleasure  you  have  afforded  me  this  evening.  You 
may  be  sure  that  my  invalid  daughter  has  enjoyed  your 
delightful  music.  She  desired  that  the  door  be  opened 
so  that  she  has  heard  it  all.  She  was  an  accomplished 
vocal  and  instrumental  musician  before  her  illness.  Per 
haps  she  may  feel  well  enough  to  see  you  in  the  drawing- 
room  to-morrow  evening/' 

Turning  then  to  Dr.  Jones,  he  said:  "Well,  Doctor, 
whether  it  be  your  medicine  or  music  that  has  charmed 
away  my  pains,  I  do  not  know;  but  it  is  certain  that  I  have 
not  been  so  free  from  suffering  for  a  long  time.  I  bid 
you  all  a  very  good  night," 

After  a  consultation  it  was  thought  best  that  two  should 
sleep  aboard  Silver  Cloud  every  night  so  long  as  the 
party  remained  with  the  Count.  So  Will  and  Denison 
took  upon  themselves  this  duty,  and  immediately  repaired 
to  the  cabin  for  the  night. 


DII.  JONES'  PICNIC.  75 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Beauty  and  the  Beast. 

On  the  following  morning  all  were  up  early,  and  enjoyed 
a  long  walk  before  breakfast  in  the  park.  They  did  not 
see  the  Count  until  breakfast  time.  He  was  in  a  very 
pleasant  mood,  and,  after  inquiring  how  they  had  rested, 
turning  to  Dr.  Jones  he  said: 

"I  have  always  made  a  point  of  rendering  credit  to  whom 
credit  is  due.  I  slept  eight  consecutive  hours  last  night, 
solidly  and  dreamlessly  as  the  dead.  I  have  had  no  such 
rest  for  years,  and  this  morning,  but  for  the  stiffness  of  my 
limb,  should  be  tempted  to  challenge  you  for  a  foot-race. 
If  this  be  the  effect  of  your  medicine,  you  are  the  most 
wonderful  healer  I  ever  met." 

"I  am  truly  happy  to  hear  that  you  feel  so  well  this 
morning,  Count  Icanovich.  But  remember  that  you  do 
not  believe  at  all  in  my  infinitesimal  dose,  and  should  not 
prematurely  render  me  credit.  Your  present  improvement 
may  be  but  a  simple  coincidence,"  and  the  Doctor's  eyes 
twinkled  mischievously. 

"That  is  right,"  said  the  Count  good-naturedly;  "I 
deserve  your  sarcasm." 

"Now,"  interposed  Mrs.  Jones,  "I  do  not  think  that  the 
Count  deserves  any  reproach  or  sarcasm  at  all.  Here  we 
come  among  you,  total  strangers;  and  Dr.  Jones,  before 
we  have  been  here  two  hours,  in  his  usual  insinuating 
manner,  gets  you  to  swallow  a  dose  of  medicine  for  what 
you  have  good  reason  to  consider  an  incurable  complaint. 
I  think  it  quite  unreasonable  to  expect  you  to  have  the 
slightest  faith  in  his  one  little  dose." 

"Thank  you,  Mrs.  Jones,"  said  the  Count,  bowing  to  her 
gravely;  "but  you  will  allow  me  to  ask,"  and  he  set  his 
great  black  eyes  upon  her  very  earnestly,  "do  you  think 
that  the  Doctor  can  cure  me?" 

"Do  I  think  so!"  cried  she,  flushing  with  pride  and  en 
thusiasm,  "my  good  sir,  he  has  done  so  already!" 


76  1>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

The  Count  looked  at  her  in  astonishment  for  a  moment, 
then  dropped  his  knife  and  fork  upon  the  table,  threw  his 
head  back  and  roared  with  laughter.  It  was  so  hearty  and 
contagious  that  all  joined  it  in  spite  of  themselves. 

"Excuse  me,  friends/'  said  he,  wiping  the  tears  from  his 
eyes>  "but  I  have  not  laughed  so  for  years.  And  this  lady's 
vindication  of  your  skill,  Dr.  Jones,  inspires  me  with 
greater  confidence  than  anything  else  could  have  possibly 
done.  All  I  have  to  say,  madam,  is  that  I  accept  your 
diagnosis  of  cure,  and  shall  throw  crutches  and  canes 
aside." 

After  breakfast  the  Count  said:  "I  have  a  stable  full  of 
horses  which  are  at  your  service.  I  should  esteem  it  a 
favor  if  you  would  use  them  as  your  own.  There  are 
many  sights  of  interest  about  here.  A  few  miles  away  is 

the  town  of  P ,  a  nice  little  city  of  about  five  thousand. 

No  doubt  you  would  like  to  make  some  purchases.  I  will 
accompany  you  any  time  and  act  as  interpreter." 

They  thanked  him,  but  concluded  not  to  visit  town  that 
day.  He  then  led  Dr.  Jones  into  his  private  room  and 
said: 

'  Doctor,  I  am  desirous  that  you  should  see  my  daughter. 
I  fear  that  you  can  do  little  more  than  palliate  her  condi 
tion,  but  even  that  would  be  very  much  for  us.  She  is  a 
great  sufferer,  and  I  shall  be  extremely  grateful  for  any 
thing  you  can  do  for  her." 

The  Doctor  immediately  signified  his  readiness  to  see  her 
whenever  it  pleased  the  Count. 

"That  north  wind  is  still  howling,  and  I  am  only  too 
happy  to  be  of  service  to  your  daughter,  or  any  of  God's 
suffering  children  while  I  am  with  you.  Keep  me  busy 
as  you  like,  Count.  My  greatest  delight  is  to  cure  the 
sick,  and  the  world  is  my  field  since  I  started  on  this  trip 
for  the  Pole." 

The  Count  touched  a  bell,  and  a  female  servant  entered. 
He  gave  her  some  orders  in  Eussian. 

She  returned  in  a  few  moments  and  spoke  to  him. 

"'My  daughter  is  ready  to  receive  us.  Will  you  go  up  to 
her  now,  sir?" 

"This  is  my  daughter  Feodora,  Doctor  Jones,"  said  the 
Count  as  they  entered  her  room.  A  tall,  graceful  young 
lady  of  twenty  arose  from  a  couch  upon  which  she  had 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  77 

been  lying,  and  extended  a  thin  feverish  hand  to  the  Doc 
tor.  She  spoke  to  him  in  beautiful  English,  and  Dr.  Jones 
expressed  surprise  in  his  face  so  that  the  Count  said: 

"I  spent  several  years  in  London,  and  Feodora  became 
very  proficient  in  the  language  there." 

They  were  all  seated,  and,  after  a  few  casual  remarks, 
Dr.  Jones  requested  Feodora  to  relate  to  him  the  history 
of  her  illness,  and  as  she  did  so,  he  carefully  noted  her 
symptoms  in  his  case-book.  He  interrupted  her  as  little 
as  possible,  preferring  to  take  down  the  history  in  her  own 
language.  After  she  had  finished  he  made  a  physical 
examination  of  her  chest.  First,  he  carefully  percussed 
both  lungs;  that  is,  laid  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  upon 
the  chest  and  tapped  them  lightly  with  the  finger  ends  of 
the  right  hand,  thus  producing  a  more  or  less  resonant  or 
hollow  sound.  He  could  thus  detect  any  consolidated  tis 
sue  that  might  be  in  the  lung,  or  abnormal  resonance  where 
there  chanced  to  be  a  cavity.  He  then,  with  a  stethoscope, 
ausculated  the  lungs,  or  listened  to  the  respiratory  sounds. 
He  noted  the  temperature;  rate  and  other  qualities  of  the 
pulse;  looked  at  the  tongue  and  sputa.  Having  now  a 
complete  picture  of  the  case  or  what  he  termed  the  "total 
ity  of  the  symptoms,"  he  said: 

"I  must  consult  my  library  a  few  moments.  I  will  be 
back  within  an  hour." 

He  hastened  to  the  cage,  ascended  to  the  cabin,  and  in 
a  few  moments  was  oblivious  to  everything  but  the  salva 
tion  of  this  precious  young  life.  He  transcribed  from  his 
case-book  to  a  sheet  of  paper  the  most  prominent,  unusual, 
and  persistent  symptoms.  They  were: 

1.  Weeps  much,  and  cannot  bear  to  be  left  alone.     Fears 
she  will  die. 

2.  Great  difficulty  in  breathing;     worse  from  exertion 
and  after  coughing. 

3.  Dry,  teasing  cough,  more  or  less  day  and  night.     In 
paroxysms    from   tickling  in  the    throat,  with    tenacious 
mucus,  which  she  cannot  raise,  and  must  be  swallowed. 
Sputa  sometimes  consists  of  pus,  mixed  with  blood. 

4.  Lower  third  of  the  right  lung  particularly  affected. 
She  cannot  lie  upon  the  right  side  on  account  of  sharp, 
stitching  pains  through  the  lung.     Sometimes  the  sharp 


78  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

pains  extend  through  the  left  lung,  with  violent  palpita 
tion  of  the  heart. 

5.  All  these  symptoms,  cough,  pains,  etc.,  are  invariably 
worse  at  three  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  continue  one  or  two 
hours. 

6.  Very  profuse  night  sweats,  etc. 

There  were  other  concomitant  symptoms  that  we  will 
not  stop  to  enumerate.  Dr.  Jones  prepared  a  powder  from 
a  vial  labeled  Kali  Carhonicum  (cm),  and  descended  and 
hastened  to  the  castle.  His  heart  was  jubilant  within  him, 
for  he  knew  that  he  should  save  this  lovely  girl.  He  fairly 
burst  into  her  chamber,  glowing  with  the  pleasure  he  thus 
felt  in  bearing  the  gospel  of  healing. 

"Praise  God!"  he  fervently  ejaculated,  "I  have  found 
your  remedy.  Take  this  please."  She  opened  her  mouth 
and  he  shook  from  a  tiny  vial  a  dose  of  a  white  granular 
powder,  just  as  he  did  the  night  before  with  her  father. 

"Now,  I  want  you  to  cheer  right  up,  and  dismiss  all 
thought  of  dying  from  your  mind.  I  expect  that  within 
a  very  few  days  you  will  experience  great  relief.  These 
sharp  stitching  pains  will  almost  immediately  disappear, 
I  am  sure/' 

And  so  he  talked  to  her  for  a  little  time  so  brightly  and 
cheerfully  that  the  poor  invalid  seemed  to  catch  his  en 
thusiastic,  hopeful  spirit,  and  smiled  and  chatted  in  a  way 
that  lifted  the  Count  to  the  very  skies. 

"Whether  there  be  any  efficacy  in  your  powders  or  not, 
Doctor  Jones,  there  is  certainly  wonderful  potency  in  your 
sanguine  manner  of  giving  them." 

"Now,  to-night,"  continued  the  Doctor,  acknowledging 
the  Count's  compliment  with  a  smile  and  nod,  "I  desire 
to  see  you  in  the  drawingroom.  You  must  have  pleasant, 
cheerful  company.  No  more  tears  and  sighing  in  this 
dismal  room.  Throw  open  the  curtains  and  blinds, 
let  God's  sunshine  and  fresh  air  in.  Take  no  medicine 
except  what  I  give  you.  I  must  bring  my  wife  and  Mattie 
to  see  you,  and  you  and  they  must  romp  all  over  this  coun 
try  in  a  few  days — providing  a  favorable  wind  does  not  set 
in.  For  I  must  hie  away  to  the  North  Pole  at  the  earliest 
practicable  moment/' 

"Please  bring  your  ladies  up  soon,  Doctor.  I  desire 
verv  much  to  know  them,  and  I  am  sure  that  company  does 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  79 

me  good.  I  ain  afraid  to  be  alone  a  moment.  It  has  been 
too  quiet  in  this  great  castle  with  no  one  to  talk  with  but 
the  servants.  Do  send  for  them  immediately,  please." 

A  few  moments  later  they  appeared  and  were  intro 
duced  to  Feodora.  They  were  shortly  upon  very  good 
terms,  for  each  of  them  was  exceedingly  well  bred  and  pos 
sessed  of  purest  womanly  instincts. 

"I  heard  your  beautiful  singing  last  night,  and  how  I 
did  wish  to  join  your  company.  And  do  you  know  that 
yesterday  I  had  been  suffering  terribly  with  stitching  pains 
in  my  side,  and  I  was  so  tired  and  miserable  that  I  asked 
God  to  help  me  or  take  me  home.  Just  then  your  great 
silver  ship  sailed  across  my  window  so  that  I  could  see  it 
as  I  lay  upon  my  couch,  and  do  you  know  that  I  believed, 
for  a  time,  that  God  had  sent  his  chariot  for  me.  I  did  not 
seem  the  least  frightened,  though  I  could  hear  the  screams 
of  the  servants  in  different  parts  of  the  house,  and  my 
nurse  had  crawled  under  the  bed.  I  just  closed  my  eyes 
and  awaited  the  summons.  I  confess  that  I  felt  really  dis 
appointed  when  they  told  me  the  truth  of  the  matter.  But 
now,  do  you  know,"  grasping  the  good  little  Doctor's 
hand,  "that  I  believe  this  to  be  God's  messenger,  and 
through  him  I  am  to  be  restored  to  health  again." 

"The  Lord  grant  it,"  said  Dr.  Jones.  "But  now  we  must 
leave  you  a  few  hours.  You  have  had  quite  enough  excite 
ment  for  once.  I  expect  to  see  you  in  the  drawingroom 
to-night." 

So  they  withdrew,  leaving  her  smiling  and  happy.  Count 
Icanovich  joined  the  Doctor  a  few  moments  later  and  asked 
him  to  sit  with  him  in  his  private  office. 

"You  will  understand,  Doctor,  that  I  am  exceedingly 
anxious  to  know  your  opinion  of  my  daughter's  condition. 
You  have  inspired  us  with  a  degree  of  hope  that  we  have 
not  known  for  a  long  time.  Indeed,  Hope  spread  her  wings 
and  left  this  castle  long  since,  and  it  has  been  little  better 
than  a  charnel-house  until  your  appearance.  Now  I  ask 
you  to  tell  me  candidly  whether  you  entertain  any  hope  of 
my  Feodora's  ultimate  recovery.  You  may  lay  your  heart 
open  to  me,  for  I  should  receive  her  as  one  raised  from  the 
dead  if  you  save  her.  Do  not,  as  you  love  your  own  soul, 
attempt  to  deceive  me." 


80  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"Count  Icanovich,"  answered  Dr.  Jones,  "I  am  hardly 
prepared  to  give  you  a  definite  answer.  I  certainly  see 
great  reason  to  hope  all  that  could  be  expected  or  desired. 
A  certain  remedy  is  so  positively  and  clearly  indicated  in 
her  case  that  I  shall  be  greatly  disappointed  if  the  most 
distressing  of  her  symptoms  do  not  immediately  disappear. 
After  that,  so  much  depends  upon  the  hygienic  and  dietic 
management  that  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  making  an  ab 
solutely  favorable  prognosis." 

"What  if  she  were  under  your  immediate  supervision  for 
a  certain  length  of  time?" 

"I  should,  under  such  circumstances,  feel  quite  sure  of 
restoring  her  to  perfect  health." 

"Then,  Doctor,  if  money  be  any  object  to  you,  you 
shall  have  your  own  price  for  remaining  until  you  pro 
nounce  her  well." 

"I  am  extremely  sorry,  Count,  but  that  cannot  be.  My 
Government  has  built  yonder  aluminum  air-ship  at  enor 
mous  expense  at  my  express  desire  and  instigation,  with 
the  understanding  that  I  sail  with  it  to  the  North  Pole. 
My  obligation  is  to  do  so  with  all  possible  dispatch.  I 
will  leave  medicine  and  explicit  directions,  so  that  in  all 
probability  you  will  do  just  as  well  as  if  I  remained." 

The  nobleman  said  no  more  upon  the  subject,  and  they 
joined  the  company  in  the  drawing-room.  Will,  Fred,  and 
Denison  repaired  to  the  stables,  selected  saddle-horses  and 
rode  to  the  town.  There  they  were  objects  of  great  interest 
to  the  inhabitants.  The  news  of  the  great  silver  globe — for 
they  all  believed  it  to  be  of  silver,  and  the  strangers  to  be 
fabulously  rich — with  its  load  of  voyagers  that  came  so 
suddenly  and  mysteriously  among  them  the  day  before,  had 
spread  rapidly.  The  superstitious  people  were  half  inclin 
ed  to  regard  them  as  celestial  visitors,  and  looked  upon 
them  with  awe  and  wonder. 

The  Doctor  and  the  Professor,  with  the  ladies,  took  a 
long  walk  through  the  park.  They  met  many  of  the  na 
tives,  who  were  coming  from  every  direction  to  see  the 
marvelous  silver  ship. 

"I  declare,"  said  Mrs.  Jones,  "that  I  can  hardly  realize 
that  all  this  can  be  true.  I  have  to  pinch  myself  some 
times  to  see  if  I  am  not  enjoying  a  long  beautiful  dream." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  81 

"It  is  romantic  to  the  last  degree,"  replied  Professor 
Gray. 

"The  wind  still  holds  in  the  north/'  remarked  Dr.  Jones, 
scanning  the  skies  and  treetops.  "I  see  that  it  has  veered 
a  few  points  to  the  west.  We  will  surely  get  a  favorable 
wind  before  many  days." 

"Isn't  it  a  pity  that  yon  cannot  stay  with  that  lovely 
girl  until  she  is  out  of  danger?"  sighed  Mrs.  Jones. 

"Yes,  it  grieves  me  exceedingly  to  be  obliged  to  leave 
her,  but  I  have  no  option  in  the  matter.  If  that  globe 
were  my  private  property,  I  would  not  leave  her  until  she 
was  out  of  danger.  But,  under  the  circumstances,  I  can 
not  do  so.  After  all,"  said  he,  brightening  up  with  the 
thought,  "she  will  probably  do  as  well  without  me." 

"She  is  the  loveliest  creature  I  ever  saw,"  said  Mattie. 
"How  gentle,  beautiful,  and  patient  she  is.  Much  as  I 
desire  to  visit  the  North  Pole,  still  I  would  gladly  remain 
here  six  months  or  a  year  if  it  would  do  her  any  good." 

The  day  passed  away  without  incident.  After  dinner 
all  met  in  the  drawing-room,  and  the  invalid  girl  occupied 
an  easy  chair  among  them.  She  extended  her  hand  to  Dr. 
Jones  with  a  grateful  smile,  and  said: 

"Doctor,  I  have  not  passed  so  comfortable  a  day  for  a 
very  long  time.  I  shall  get  well.  Your  medicine  has 
done  wonders  for  me  already.  You  are,  no  doubt,  in  great 
haste  to  reach  your  destination,  but  you  must  not  leave  me 
until  I  am  better.  If  you  do,  I  shall  die." 

"0,  no!  my  dear  Miss  Feodora,  you  will  not  die.  I  shall 
leave  you  medicines  that  will  help  you  through  nicely." 

This  the  Doctor  said  with  all  the  assurance  and  cheer 
fulness  he  could  command.  But  she  instinctively  detect 
ed  a  slight  shade  of  anxiety  or  uncertainty  in  his  tone. 
The  physician  must  be  a  consummate  actor  who  can  de 
ceive  a  patient  whose  perceptions  are  preternaturally  acute 
as  were  Feodora's.  He  saw  that  he  had  not  deceived  her, 
and  cried: 

"Do  not  let  us  think  of  that  subject  to-night.  This 
unfavorable  wind  may  last  many  days,  and  I  promise  to  see 
you  better  before  I  go." 

She  smiled  sweetly  and  gratefully  as  he  gave  her  this 
promise,  and  abandoned  herself  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
music,  conversation,  etc.,  of  the  evening.  Instrumental 

6 


$2  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

and  vocal  music  constituted  the  principal  source  of  amuse 
ment,  and  the  audience  awarded  unstinted  praise  and  ap 
plause.  The  singers  were  in  the  best  possible  form,  not 
one  of  them  complaining  of  cold  or  hoarseness,  as  is  cus 
tomary.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  sweetness  and  rich 
ness  of  Mrs.  Jones'  voice.  It  seemed  to  fill  the  gloomy 
halls  and  rooms  of  the  castle  to  its  farthest  confines.  And 
Mattie's  contralto  beautifully  and  nobly  seconded  the  so 
prano.  The  tenor  and  bass  could  scarcely  have  been  better, 
and  altogether  it  was  a  concert  worthy  of  the  praise  of 
that,  or  any  other,  audience. 

"You  will  never  know  what  a  change  your  coming  has 
made  in  our  home,"  said  Feodora  to  Mrs.  Jones  and  Mattie 
as  they  sat  beside  her.  "Before  your  coming,  all  was  so 
still  and  dark,  and  scarcely  a  sound  could  be  heard  in  the 
rooms  or  halls  all  day.  Now  see  the  servants  sitting  and 
standing  about  the  halls,  chatting  and  laughing  as  if  noth 
ing  had  ever  been  wrong  in  the  house.  And  look  at  papa 
talking  and  laughing  as  if  he  were  not  the  saddest  man  on 
earth  only  two  days  ago.  As  for  myself,  I  am  simply  as 
tonished  beyond  measure.  I  have  really  forgotten  for  a 
time  this  evening  that  I  am  not  perfectly  well.  0,  what  a 
beautiful,  beautiful  change!  And  it  is  perfectly  heavenly 
to  have  a  respite  from  pain,  even  if  it  be  but  temporary." 

The  two  ladies,  one  sitting  upon  either  side,  smiled 
their  sympathy  and  happiness,  and  pressed  her  poor  ema 
ciated  hands  between  their  own  cool,  soft,  plump  ones  in 
a  way  that  went  directly  to  her  heart. 

"Let  us  help  you  up  stairs,"  said  Mrs.  Jones,  "for  I  am 
sure  that  you  must  be  getting  tired." 

She  assented,  bade  the  company  good-night,  and  retired 
with  the  two  ladies. 

"Now  you  must  let  us  do  everything  we  can  for  you 
while  we  are  here,"  said  Mrs.  Jones.  "You  know  that  we 
are  to  see  you  better  before  we  go  away,  and  I  have  so  much 
confidence  in  Dr.  Jones'  system  of  medicine  that  I  am  pos 
itive  of  your  recovery." 

Leaving  her  then  to  the  nurse,  they  retired  for  the  night. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  83 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Doctor  Jones  Commits  Treason. 

As  they  met  at  the  breakfast  table  next  morning,  they 
found  the  Count  joyous  and  jubilant.  Feodora  had  spent 
a  comparatively  comfortable  night.  At  the  regular  hour, 
3  o'clock,  A.  M.,  the  stitching  pains  and  cough  recurred, 
but  were  so  much  less  than  usual,  and  lasted  so  much 
shorter  a  time  that  she  was  radiant  with  joy,  and  thanked 
Dr.  Jones  so  sweetly  that  the  good  man  was  obliged  to 
hem  and  cough  and  wipe  his  nose  and  eyes,  and  com 
plain  of  a  slight  cold  which  he  had  contracted.  As  for 
the  nobleman  himself,  he  declared  that  he  was  the  happiest 
and  soundest  of  all  the  Czar's  subjects. 

'I  cannot  understand  this  matter,  Doctor,"  said  he.  "I 
have  absolutely  exhausted  the  medical  science  of  Europe 
without  the  slightest  benefit.  Here  you  come  from  the 
United  States,  a  new  country,  and  supposed  to  be  very 
much  behind  in  all  matters  of  science  and  letters,  yet  you 
have  done  for  me  and  my  daughter,  as  if  by  magic,  what 
the  accumulated  science  and  knowledge  of  Europe  have 
not  been  able  to  do  at  all.  Is  your  science  a  mystic  or 
esoteric  affair,  and  are  you  tne  only  one  in  possession  of 
the  secret? 

"No,  indeed,  Count  Icanovich.  So  far  from  my  system 
being  esoteric  or  exclusively  my  own,  I  have  for  many 
years  taught  and  exemplified  to  the  best  of  my  ability  the 
law  by  which  I  am  governed  in  the  selection  of  the  rem 
edy.  And  there  are  a  noble  few  in  my  country  who  are 
like  children  sitting  in  the  market,  crying,  'We  have 
mourned  unto  you  and  ye  would  not  mourn;  we  have  piped 
unto  you  and  ye  would  not  dance.'  By  every  possible 
means  we  have  endeavored  to  induce  the  dominant  school 
of  medicine  to  investigate  our  claims,  but  they  simply  de 
ride  and  laugh  us  to  scorn." 

"But  surely,  Doctor,  they  cannot  deny  the  evidence  of 
their  own  senses!  If  you  cure  that  which  they  cannot, 


84  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

they  certainly  must  heed  you.     Anything  else  is  unthink 
able,"  exclaimed  the  Count. 

"My  dear  sir,  hnman  nature  is  past  finding  out  in  its  ca 
pacity  for  stupidity  and  foolishness.  God  gives  every  man 
the  power  to  choose  good  or  evil,  and  no  amount  of  evi 
dence  can  dispossess  him  of  this  elective  franchise. 
Hence  he  is  the  arbiter  of  his  own  fate.  Abraham  said  to 
Dives  concerning  his  brethren,  'If  they  believe  not  Moses 
and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  believe,  though  one 
arose  from  the  dead/  Jesus  Christ  healed  the  sick,  raised 
the  dead,  restored  the  lame,  the  halt,  the  blind,  in  the 
presence  of  priests,  lawyers,  and  doctors,  the  scientists  of 
those  days;  and  they  put  him  to  death  in  precisely  the 
same  spirit  that  they  expatriated  Samuel  Hahnemann  for 
discovering  and  promulgating  the  only  law  of  cure  in  God's 
universe.  Human  nature  has  not  changed  a  particle  since 
the  days  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  it  never  will  be  any  more 
nor  less  than  what  it  is  now,  except  as  it  is  regenerated 
through  the  Atonement/' 

"This  is  marvelously  strange,"  said  the  Count  musingly. 
"I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  of  your  system  more 
than  a  few  times  in  my  life,  and  then  but  as  something 
ridiculous  or  foolish.  Cannot  something  be  done  to  bring 
it  before  the  public?" 

"So  far  as  I  know,  Count  Icanovich,  there  is  not  a  school 
in  Europe  where  the  tenets  of  our  system  are  taught.  The 
dominant  school  of  medicine  has  used  its  power,  and  legis 
lation  effectually  bars  us  out  in  every  European  country. 
Only  in  America  have  we  colleges,  and  even  there  whatever 
privileges  we  enjoy  are  the  results  of  deadly  and  uncom 
promising  warfare.  So  you  will  understand  the  difficulties 
under  which  we  labor." 

"It  seems,  then,  that  it  is  simply  a  matter  of  ignorance 
with  the  laity  that  your  system  has  not  become  universally 
adopted,"  interposed  Professor  Gray.  "And  the  'Kegular 
School/  as  they  style  themselves,  is  exceedingly  active  in 
keeping  them  thus  ignorant." 

"That  is  the  state  of  affairs  exactly,"  cried  Dr.  Jones. 
"To  illustrate  the  fact  that  we  have  a  law  of  cure,  while  the 
so-  called  Regulars  have  nothing  like  it,  a  certain  physician, 
a  number  of  years  ago,  sent  out  twenty  letters,  ten  to  prom 
inent  men  of  each  school.  He  sent  to  each  the  ordinary 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  85 

price  of  a  prescription,  and  represented  himself  as  a  pa 
tient.  He  detailed  precisely  the  same  symptoms  to  each. 
Now,  if  medicine  is  worthy  of  being  called  a  science,  why 
should  there  not  have  been  an  answer,  and  but  one  answer, 
as  to  the  remedy  indicated  in  this  case?" 

"So  I  have  said  a  thousand  times,"  exclaimed  the  Count, 
excitedly.  "And  1  can  foretell  the  denouement  so  far  as 
the  Regular  school  is  concerned:  You  received  as  many 
prescriptions  that  were  totally  unlike  as  there  were  men  of 
that  school  who  prescribed  for  you." 

"Right,  you  are,  my  lord!"  shouted  the  Doctor.  "But 
eight  of  them  responded.  No  two  of  their  prescriptions  at 
all  resembled  each  other,  and  the  aggregate  number  of 
drugs  prescribed  by  them  was  somewhere  near  seventy,  if 
I  remember  correctly.  If  all  these  drugs  had  been  put  into 
a  jug,  the  compound  would  have  been  a  mass  of  incom- 
patibles  that  would  have  poisoned  any  miserable  wretch 
who  was  fool  enough  to  take  it." 

"But  how  did  the  men  of  your  school  do,  Doctor?"  asked 
Professor  Gray.  "Did  they  do  any  better?" 

"Did  they!"  again  shouted  Dr.  Jones,  swelling  and  flush 
ing  with  pride.  "Every  one  of  them  prescribed  Lycopo- 
dium  Pollen,  which  was  the  indicated  remedy." 

"How  many  physicians  of  your  school  are  there  in  Amer 
ica?"  asked  the  Count. 

"Something  like  twelve  thousand,  I  believe." 

"And  would  each  of  them  have  prescribed  the  remedy 
you  mentioned?" 

"All  worthy  of  the  name  would  have  done  so." 

"And  are  not  all  worthy?" 

"I  am  forced  to  say  no!  not  by  a  great  many.  Like  every 
other  representative  system  of  truth,  our  greatest  source  of 
danger  is  from  within.  No  chain  is  stronger  than  its  weak 
est  link,  as  has  been  said  many  times.  The  world  judges 
us  by  our  weaklings.  Every  good  thing  has  its  hordes  of 
counterfeits." 

"Well,"  said  the  Count,  "I  am  deeply  interested  in  this 
matter.  I  must  hear  more  of  it,  Doctor." 

"And  I  also  am  desirous  of  information  upon  this  all  im 
portant  subject,"  added  Professor  Gray. 

The  wind  had  veered  around  to  the  west-nor-west.  It 
had  materially  abated  in  violence,  but  was  still  unfavorable 


86  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

for  our  navigators.  And,  in  truth,  the  Doctor  was  not 
nearly  so  anxious  to  depart  at  this  time  as  was  Professor 
Gray.  The  good  Doctor's  mind  was  divided  between  a  de 
sire  to  be  off  for  the  Arctics,  and  a  professional  interest  in, 
and  friendly  solicitude  for,  the  beautiful  Feodora.  Noth 
ing  could  exceed  the  delight  with  which  he  noted  the  mani 
fest  curative  power  of  the  dose  which  he  had  given  her. 
And  he  had  pledged  his  word  that  he  would  not  leave  her 
until  material  improvement  was  apparent.  So  it  was  with 
a  considerable  degree  of  resignation  that  he  saw  the  wind 
continue  northerly. 

The  matter  stood  about  thus  between  him  and  Professor 
Gray:  While  Dr.  Jones  was  really  commander  of  the  expe 
dition,  yet  fhe  Professor  represented  the  Government's  in 
terests,  and  he  kept  a  strict  record  of  every  day's  occur 
rences.  These  must  be  subjected  to  the  inspection  of  the 
proper  authorities  upon  their  return  to  Washington.  The 
fact  that  Dr.  Jones  had  interested  himself  in  a  sick  girl  in 
the  heart  of  Russia,  even  though  she  was  the  only  child  of  a 
Count  who  stood  high  with  the  Emperor  of  all  the  Russias, 
could  not  excuse  him  to  his  Government  for  holding  in 
abeyance  the  mighty  interests  of  the  expedition  upon 
which  it  had  projected  him. 

For  two  more  days  the  northerly  winds  prevailed.  Then 
came  the  hoped-for,  yet  dreaded,  change.  At  six  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  the  Professor  rapped  upon  Dr.  Jones' 
chamber  door. 

"Come,  Doctor,"  he  cried.  "Ho!  for  the  North  Pole.  A 
glorious  breeze  from  due  South." 

The  Doctor  joined  him  in  a  few  moments,  and  they 
walked  into  the  park.  The  aluminum  flag  fluttered 
straight  toward  the  north.  The  Doctor  expressed  his  de 
light,  but  there  tugged  at  his  heart  the  thought  of  leaving 
the  poor  girl  who  clung  to  him  for  her  life.  But  he  did 
not  dare  to  mention  this  fact  to  Professor  Gray.  He  knew 
that  no  merely  sentimental  grounds  would  have  any  weight 
with  that  gentleman,  and  that  he  (the  Professor)  would 
hold  him  strictly  accountable  to  the  Government  for  any 
unnecessary  delay. 

So,  with  a  sigh,  he  announced  to  his  party  that  they 
would  sail  as  soon  after  breakfast  as  possible.  The  Count 
looked  very  much  distressed,  but  said  not  a  word.  After 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  87 

breakfast  the  Doctor  and  Count  repaired  to  Feodora's 
room.  She  had  rested  beautifully  all  night,  and  received 
them  with  a  glad,  smiling  welcome.  But  when  Dr.  Jones 
announced  that  he  must  sail  within  two  or  three  hours,  her 
face  became  exceedingly  sorrowful,  and  she  said  to  him  so 
gently  and  simply  that  it  touched  the  hearts  of  the  men 
more  than  tears  could  have  ever  done: 

"And  do  you  know  what  goes  with  you  in  your  beautiful 
Silver  Cloud?" 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  do.     What  do  you  mean?" 

"My  life." 

This  unexpected  reply  caused  the  Doctor  a  terrible 
shock. 

"0  no!  my  dear  young  lady,  you  are  doing  splendidly. 
Just  carry  out  my  written  instructions  and  you  will  do  as 
well  without  me  as  you  would  with  me." 

"Dr.  Jones,  I  appreciate  your  situation,  and  know  that 
you  have  no  right  to  remain  here  for  my  sake,  or  anyone's 
else.  I  will  not  try  to  persuade  you  to  stay;  but  I  know 
that  when  you  have  gone,  Hope  will  have  accompanied  you, 
and  I  shall  certainly  die." 

"My  God!  My  God!  Dr.  Jones,  I  cannot  endure  this," 
groaned  the  Count,  and  great  tears  coursed  down  his 
cheeks. 

"Let  me  talk  with  you  a  few  moments  privately,"  said 
the  Doctor. 

The  Counl  led  the  way  to  his  office,  and  when  they  were 
seated  the  Doctor  began: 

"Count  Icanovich,  I  cannot  leave  you,  and  yet  you  see 
my  situation.  Professor  Gray  will  not  consent  to  an 
hour's  unnecessary  delay,  and  will  hold  me  in  strictest  ac 
count  to  my  Government." 

"Cannot  he  be  brought  to  consent  to  remain  a  few 
weeks?"  asked  the  Count  anxiously. 

"Not  all  the  gold  in  Russia  would  tempt  him  one  mo 
ment,"  declared  the  Doctor  emphatically. 

"But  you  must  not  go  and  take  my  darling's  life  with 
you!"  cried  the  Count  desperately. 

"Say  'shall  not/  and  you  will  hit  it  exactly,"  replied  the 
little  Doctor,  winking  shrewdly  at  the  Count. 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Have  you  no  special  power  or  authority  in  this  sec 
tion?" 


88  OR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"I  have  very  great  power  if  1  choose  to  use  it.  Do  I 
understand  you  to  advise  me  to  detain  you  by  force?" 

The  Doctor  grinned,  gave  a  little  Frenchy  shrug  of  the 
shoulders,  and  said:  "It  would  be  treason  to  my  country 
to  advise  you  to  do  so,  sir;  but  if  you  permit  us  to  go,  surely 
you  cannot  blame  me  for  going.  I  very  much  prefer  to 
stay,  but  only  absolute  force  can  prevent  my  going." 

"I  understand  you  perfectly,  Doctor,  and  you  need  say 
no  more,"  replied  the  Count,  smiling  grimly.  "It  had  not 
occurred  to  me  to  treat  my  guests  with  such  discourtesy; 
but  you  Americans  have  an  adage,  I  have  heard, — or  is  it 
English? — that  a  hint  is  as  good  as  a  kick.  Well,  you 
needn't  kick  me — unless  I  let  you  go.  Now  go  up  to  my 
daughter  and  cheer  her  up  with  the  news  that  you  are 
forcibly  detained,  and  will  not  sail  till  she  is  cured/' 

Here  the  two  men  clasped  hands,  threw  open  their 
mouths  to  their  widest  extent,  and  laughed  long  and — si 
lently. 

"But  now  run  up  to  Feodora;  she  needs  you  badly,  and  I 
have  some  very  important  business  to  attend  to." 

So  the  Doctor  again  ascended  to  Feodora's  room.  He 
found  there  his  wife  and  Mattie,  all  three  in  tears. 

"Come,  come,  girls,  wipe  your  eyes.  Please  leave  me 
alone  with  Miss  Feodora  a  few  minutes.  I  will  join  you 
down  stairs  directly." 

"And  now,"  said  he,  "cheer  right  up.  We  are  not  going 
to  leave  you  until  your  father  consents.  I  have  made  the 
arrangement  with  him,  but  it  must  not  be  known  to  any 
one  else.  You  understand,  do  you  not?" 

"I  do,  Doctor,  1  do,"  she  cried;  "and  I  promise  to  get 
well  as  soon  as  I  can,  so  as  not  to  detain  you  any  longer 
than  necessary.  I  shall  get  well!  I  shall  get  well!"  and  she 
pressed  his  hand  to  her  lips  in  the  ecstacy  of  her  joy. 

"There,  there,"  said  he,  a  little  sheepishly,  withdrawing 
his  hand,  "go  to  sleep  now,  and  come  down  to  the  drawing- 
room  this  afternoon." 

He  had  been  in  the  drawing-room  but  a  moment  or  so 
when  the  Professor  and  Will  rushed  in,  each  very  excited. 

"Doctor!"  cried  Will,  "what  do  you  suppose  the  Count 
has  done?" 

"I  don't  know,  Fm  sure.     What's  the  matter?" 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  89 

"Well,  by  Jove,  if  he  hasn't  padlocked  our  cables,  and 
very  coolly  informed  us  that  we  cannot  sail  until  he  gives 
us  permission!'' 

"What  can  he  possibly  mean!"  exclaimed  the  Doctor  in 
well-assumed  astonishment.  "We  must  see  about  this 
matter.  Where  is  he?" 

"We  left  him  at  the  globe/'  said  the  Professor.  "I  can 
not  comprehend  the  meaning  of  this.  Let  us  go  at  once 
and  see  him." 

"Surely  he  must  be  joking  you/'  said  the  Doctor,  as  they 
walked  rapidly  toward  Silver  Cloud. 

They  found  a  group  standing  beneath  the  globe;  and,  as 
Will  had  said,  every  anchor  and  cable  was  heavily  pad 
locked.  Dr.  Jones  stepped  briskly  up  to  Count  Icanovich 
and  said  with  all  the  sharpness  he  could  command:  "What 
is  the  meaning  of  this,  Sir  Count?  Why  have  you  pad 
locked  these  cables?" 

"Evidently  I  could  have  but  one  object:  to  prevent  your 
casting  them  off." 

"But  why?  What  right  have  you  to  do  so?" 

"Simply  the  right  of  might.  But  come,"  said  he,  look 
ing  over  the  company,  "let  us  talk  this  matter  over  to 
gether.  Shall  we  return  to  the  castle?" 

"Suppose  we  ascend  to  the  cabin,"  said  the  Doctor. 
"There  we  can  talk  without  interruption." 

So,  two  by  two,  they  all  ascended  to  the  sitting-room  of 
the  cabin.  The  Doctor  and  Count  were  the  first  to  go  up. 

"I  shall  make  a  great  demonstration  of  anger,  and  may 
talk  pretty  sharply,  Count,  but  you  will  know  my  mean 
ing,"  said  the  former,  as  they  landed  in  the  engine-room. 

"I  perfectly  understand;  act  your  part,  Doctor." 

When  they  were  all  seated  in  the  sittingroom,  the  Doctor 
immediately  reiterated  the  question: 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this  high-handed  proceeding, 
Count  Icanovich?" 

"It  simply  means  that  I  cannot  consent  to  let  you  go  at 
present,  Doctor  Jones." 

"And  do  you  really  mean  to  detain  us  by  force?" 

"I  do,  if  necessary." 

"Will  you  kindly  tell  us  your  object,  and  by  what  au 
thority  you  dare  to  delay  a  United  States'  expedition?  Do 


90  I>R.  JONAS'  PICNIC. 

you  not  konw  that  our  Government  will  demand  heavy  re 
prisals  for  this  action  upon  your  part?" 

"Allow  me  to  answer  your  first  question.  When  you 
landed  among  us  a  few  days  ago,  you  found  us  a  despairing 
lot  of  invalids.  We  were  simply  waiting  death  as  the  only 
possible  escape  from  our  pains  and  distress.  The  change 
that  you  have  brought  about  by  your  medical  skill  and 
knowledge  is  known  to  you  all,  and  I  need  not  dwell  upon 
it.  Our  hearts  are  bursting  with  gratitude,  and  it  pains 
me  beyond  measure  to  be  thus  obliged  to  use  coercion;  but 
my  daughter's  interests — her  life — compel  me  to  detain 
you.  She  declares  that  she  cannot  live  if  the  Doctor  leaves 
her,  and  I  cannot  and  will  not  permit  her  only  chance  of 
recovery  to  thus  fly  away  in  the  air.  She  is  all  I  have  on 
earth,  and  I  swear  that  you  shall  stay  until  she  consents  to 
let  you  go." 

"But,  Count  Icanovich,  do  you  not  see  how  imposible  it 
is  for  us  to  remain?"  asked  Professor  Gray. 

"No;  I  only  see  how  impossible  it  is  for  you  to  go/7 

"But  look  at  the  vast  amount  of  money  that  our  Gov 
ernment  has  intrusted  us  with  for  an  express  purpose. 
Having  accepted  this  trust,  our  first  and  only  duty  is  to 
that  Government.  And  I  tell  you  that  whoever  dares  to 
detain  us  will  have  a  heavy  account  to  settle  with  a  great 
and  powerful  nation." 

"I  perfectly  appreciate  all  that,  Professor  Gray,  and  am 
ready  to  settle  any  indemnity  that  may  be  demanded  of  me. 
I  tell  you,  one  and  all,  that  I  count  these  things  as  but 
dross  when  compared  with  the  life  of  my  Feodora.  She 
shall  not  die  if  any  high-handed  outrage  that  I  can  commit 
will  prevent  it.  You  have  heard  me." 

The  voyagers  looked  at  one  another  in  dismay.  Here 
was  a  predicament  that  no  one  could  have  foreseen. 

"How  long  is  this  delay  likely  to  last?"  asked  Will. 

"Just  as  Jong  as  the  interests  of  my  daughter's  healtn* 
demand  it,"  returned  the  Count. 

The  Doctor  gave  a  hypocritical  groan  that  would  have 
made  his  fortune  upon  the  stage. 

"How  long  will  that  be,  Doctor?"  asked  Will. 

"Three  months,  at  least,"  was  the  reply. 

The  Professor  duplicated  the  Doctor's  groan  with  such 
emphasis  that  the  party  could  not  repress  their  smiles,  and 
the  two  conspirators  did  not  dare  look  at  each  other. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  91 

"Well,  Professor,  we'll  have  to  accept  the  inevitable," 
said  Dr.  Jones.  "Let's  go  down  again  and  continue  our 
studies  of  Russian  customs  and  habits." 

"Allow  me  to  say,  gentlemen,  before  we  descend,  that 
it  is  best  that  we  should  have  a  thorough  understanding. 
I  desire  to  treat  you  as  my  honored  friends  and  guests,  and 
to  allow  you  every  possible  liberty  and  pleasure  while  here. 
Pledge  me  your  word  that  you  will  not  attempt  to  sail 
without  my  knowledge,  or  seek  governmental  interference, 
and  all  I  have  is  at  your  command." 

"Before  I  accede  to  your  proposition,  I  wish  to  put  one 
question:  If  Dr.  Jones  will  consent  to  remain,  will  you  per 
mit  the  rest  of  the  party  to  depart  with  the  ship?"  asked 
the  Professor. 

"I  shall  be  delighted  if  you  can  make  any  such  arange- 
ment,"  quickly  returned  the  Count. 

"What  do  you  say,  Doctor?"  cried  Professor  Gray,  turn 
ing  to  him. 

The  Doctor  pondered  a  moment  or  two,  and  then  said: 

"It  is  very  great  to  be  the  discoverer  of  the  North  Pole, 
but  it  is  very  much  greater  to  save  a  human  life.  My  wife 
and  Mattie  will  remain  with  me,  but  the  rest  of  you  may 
depart  immediately  if  you  wish/' 

"As  for  me,"  said  Denison,  promptly,  "I  shall  stay  with 
Dr.  Jones." 

Will  and  Fred  looked  at  each  other  a  moment,  then  Fred 
burst  out: 

"Let's  stick  together.  The  North  Pole  will  be  there 
just  the  same  a  few  months  later,  and  I  do  not  blame  Count 
Icanovich  for  detaining  the  Doctor  under  the  circum 
stances.  To  use  a  beautiful  Americanism,  we  may  as  well 
be  hung  for  a  sheep  as  a  lamb.  In  one,  in  all."* 

"I  stand  with  the  majority,"  said  Will. 

"Well,  gentlemen,  I  do  not  see  but  that  I  am  in  a  hope 
less  minority,  and  must  accept  the  Count's  terms,"  sighed 
the  Professor.  "But  say,  Doctor,  let  me  suggest  one  more 
idea  before  settling  the  matter  definitely.  Are  there  not 
men  in  Russia  who  practice  your  system,  and  who  could  fill 
your  place  satisfactorily  in  this  case?" 

"I  presume  there  are,  but  I  am  unacquainted  with 
them." 


92  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"But,  gentlemen,  my  daughter  will  accept  no  substitute. 
I  suggested  the  same  idea  to  her,  but  she  would  not  listen 
to  it.  It  is  Dr.  Jones  or  nobody  with  her.  There  is  no  al 
ternative.  Dr.  Jones  must  stay."  This  the  Count  said  so 
decisively  that  further  argument  was  mutually  dropped  as 
una  vai  ling. 

"Well,  Sir  Count,  since  fate  is  against  our  sailing  until 
the  recovery  of  the  fair  Feodora,  I  only  hope  her  return  to 
perfect  health  may  be  unprecedentedly  rapid,  and  I  hereby 
give  you  the  required  pledge."  With  this  the  Professor  ex 
tended  his  hand  to  the  Count.  The  latter  seized  it  cor 
dially,  then  shook  hands  with  each  of  the  rest  of  the  com 
pany,  saying: 

"]  am  so  glad  that  this  unpleasant  matter  has  been  so 
easily  and  amicably  adjusted.  Let  us  go  down  now,  and 
the  only  command  that  I  put  upon  you  is  that  you  use  my 
castle  as  your  own,  and  that  you  come  and  go  as  you 
please/5 

They  all  thanked  the  noble  Count,  and  the  whole  party 
set  out  for  the  castle.  When  they  reached  the  drawing-room 
the  Professor  dropped  into  a  chair  and  said:  "I  used  to  be 
of  the  opinion  that  the  stories  of  the  enchanted  castles, 
Sleeping  Beauties  and  Beasts  were  all  childish  fiction  and 
romance.  But,  as  the  darky  said,  'Heah  we  is/  We  have 
the  castle,  the  Beauty,  and  the  Beast.  Though  I  must  say 
of  the  Beast  that  he  is  a  very  amiable  old  fellow,  after  all, 
and  I  would  do  just  as  he  is  doing  under  the  circumstances. 
This  Beauty  must  be  awakened,  and  Dr.  Jones  is  the 
Prince  of  Physicians  who  can  do  it." 

"Thank  you,  Professor.  And  now,  girls,  take  off  your 
hats  and  cloaks,"  cried  the  Doctor.  "We  have  concluded 
to  stay  with  the  Count  a  few  months/* 

They  looked  at  him  to  see  if  he  were  not  joking. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Doctor?"  asked  his  wife.  "Did 
you  say  that  we  were  to  stay  here  a  few  months?" 

"Yes,  my  dear.  The  Count  has  persuaded  me  to  remain 
until  Feodora  is  so  far  recovered  that  we  can  safely  leave 
her/' 

"Well  now,  I  will  tell  you  the  truth;  I  am  really  glad  to 
hear  it."  Then  turning  to  the  company,  she  proiidly  said: 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  98 

"This  is  just  like  him.  I  am  sure  that  he  would  not  only 
give  up  the  North  Pole,  but  the  whole  earth  to  save  a  hu 
man  life." 

"Come,  come,  sis,"  said  the  Doctor,  blushing  and  con 
fused,  "you  make  me  feel  silly.  Scatter  off,  now,  and  make 
yourselves  at  home.  We  must  make  the  Count  glad  to  get 
rid  of  us." 


94  DR-  JONES'  PIGNIO. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
A  Model  Teacher  and  Ideal  Student. 

The  days  and  weeks  flew  swiftly  by.  The  fame  of  the 
great  air-ship  spread  far  and  wide,  and  thousands  of  visit 
ors  came  to  inspect  it  and  the  wonderful  voyagers.  But 
what  especially  drew  the  people,  and  was  talked  of  more 
than  all  else,  was  the  marvelous  skill  of  Dr.  Jones  as  a 
healer.  The  beautiful  Feodora  improved  from  day  to  day, 
so  that  she  daily  drove  with  her  devoted  and  constant  com 
panions,  Mrs.  Jones  and  Mattie.  She  began  to  eat  heartily, 
gamed  flesh  rapidly,  and  her  cough  had  nearly  left  her. 
Roses  of  health  assumed  the  place  of  hectic  flush,  and  she 
was  the  talk  and  wonder  of  everyone  who  knew  of  her  for 
mer  hopeless  condition. 

Many  were  the  consultations  held  by  Dr.  Jones,  with 
the  grateful  and  goodnatured  Count  for  interpreter. 
Money  and  honors  poured  in  upon  him,  though  he  never 
made  any  sort  of  charge  for  advice  or  medicine.  The  bet 
ter  class  of  patients  invariably  left  upon  the  table  one  or 
more  pieces  of  gold. 

"Maggie,  do  you  know  that  I  have  no  idea  of  what  to  do 
with  all  this  money?  If  it  keeps  on  this  way,  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  found  a  college  and  hospital  when  we  get  back 
to  Washington.  Wouldn't  it  be  grand  if  I  could  break 
down  the  prejudices  and  legal  barriers  in  this  great  coun 
try,  and  establish  our  school  upon  an  even  footing  with  the 
old  school?" 

"The  Count  must  have  influence  at  court.  I  should 
think  that  he  might  be  of  great  help  to  you,"  suggested 
Mrs.  Jones. 

"That  is  a  good  thought,  and  I  will  have  a  talk  with  him 
upon  the  subject  at  the  first  opportunity." 

The  Count,  meantime,  was  closely 'watching  the  Doc 
tor's  methods  and  the  results.  He  was  delighted  to  note 
that  many  chronic  cases  recovered  under  the  treatment; 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC.  95 

and  acute  diseases  yielded  as  if  by  magic  to  his  all-powerful 
infinitesimal  doses. 

''This  is  something  utterly  incomprehensible,"  he  said 
to  the  Doctor  one  evening,  as  the  friends  sat  with 
him  in  his  office,  smoking  and  talking.  "Your  medicines 
are  working  wonders,  and  yet  I  cannot  understand  how  it 
is  possible  for  so  minute  a  particle  as  is  contained  in  one  of 
your  doses  to  act  so  potently  and  profoundly  upon  a  great 
mass  of  blood,  flesh,  and  bones,  like  the  human  body.  That 
it  does  so  is  beyond  question.  I  have  watched  you  care 
fully,  and  am  thoroughly  converted  to  your  system." 

"Wouldn't  it  be  a  glorious  thing  for  Russia  if  this  system 
of  medicine  could  have  at  least  an  opportunity  of  being 
heard,  and  of  exemplifying  the  fact  that  it  is  founded  upon 
science,  and  that  beside  it  there  is  no  other?"  cried  Dr. 
Jones. 

"Suppose  you  had  an  opportunity,  by  what  method 
would  you  prove  this  system  to  be  what  you  claim  for  it?" 
asked  Professor  Gray. 

"By  the  only  method  that  can  satisfy  the  human  mind — 
practical  experience  and  demonstration.  Nothing  else  will 
do.  Theory  is  all  well  enough,  but  if  it  cannot  stand  the 
test  of  experiment  it  is  of  no  sort  of  use.  There  is  not  a 
crowned  head  nor  potentate  in  Europe  before  whom  I 
would  not  gladly  and  fearlessly  put  my  system  -to  such  test. 
Give  me  but  a  clear  cut  case — one  that  has  not  been  spoiled 
by  massive  dosage  or  surgery,  and  I  am  willing  that  the 
system  shall  stand  or  fall  by  the  result." 

"That  is  perfectly  fair,  and  I  know,  Doctor,  that  you 
would  succeed,"  said  the  Count.  "And  I  will  say,  further, 
that  I  am  at  your  service  to  promulgate  your  system  in 
Russia,  I  have  influence  at  court,  and  I  can  put  it  to  no 
better  use  than  to  help  you  present  the  system  of  medicine 
which  you  represent  to  those  in  a  position  to  open  our  door 
to  your  school." 

"If  you  will  do  that,  sir,  I  shall  never  regret  our  having 
been  blown  out  of  our  course  into  Russia.  If  I  can  thus  be 
instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  countless  thousands  of 
God's  suffering  children,  I  shall  feel  that  I  have  not  lived 
in  vain,  whether  I  ever  reach  the  North  Pole  or  not.  Do 
not  think,  Professor,  that  I  have  in  any  degree  lost  interest 


96  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

in  our  original  enterprise.     But,  meantime,  I  must  do  what 
I  can  for  humanity  when  opportunity  occurs/' 

"You  are  doing  that,  Doctor,  and  I  heartily,  sympathize 
with  you  in  your  labors,"  answered  the  Professor.  "I  only 
insist  that,  when  permitted  by  the  fair  Feodora,  we  sail  im 
mediately  for  our  destination." 

"That  we  will,  Professor,  and  I  promise  not  to  enter  into 
any  arrangements  that  shall  prevent  our  going  as  soon  as 
possible,"  replied  Dr.  Jones. 

"Excuse  me,  gentlemen,"  interrupted  the  Count,  "but  I 
wish  to  ask  the  Doctor  for  information.  As  you  know,  I 
have  had  a  considerable  amount  of  experience  with  the  reg 
ular  school  of  medicine,  and  you  also  know  that  I  was  thor 
oughly  disgusted  with  it  when  you  came  so  opportunely. 
I  have  carefully  observed  your  methods,  Dr.  Jones,  and  I 
notice  this  essential  difference  between  the  two  schools: 
The  old  school  physicians  are  exceedingly  particular  in 
their  examinations  and  explorations.  They  seem  extreme 
ly  worried  about  naming  the  disease  and  knowing  the  exact 
condition  of  the  diseased  tissues,  but  they  do  not  appear  to 
be  able  to  manage  the  practical  part  of  the  business— cure. 
You,  as  a  representative  of  the  other  system,  do  not  lay  so 
much  stress  upon  these  things,  but  do  take  cognizance  of 
the  symptoms  in  each  case  with  surprising  particularity. 
And  I  notice  that  you  appear  to  base  your  prescription 
solely  upon  what  you  term  the  'totality  of  symptoms/  How 
nearly  am  I  right?" 

"Count,  you  have  apprehended  the  exact  condition  of 
things.  It  is  well  enough  to  know  all  we  can  of  the  state 
of  the  organ  or  organs  that  we  are  treating;  but  suppose  I 
spend  hours  examining  a  patient  with  all  the  appliances 
known  to  medicine,  and  have  determined  to  a  certainty  the 
name  of  the  disease  with  which  my  patient  is  afflicted,  I 
am  now  no  nearer  knowing  the  remedy  indicated  in  this 
case  than  I  was  before  I  made  the  examination.  I  must 
go  back  and  take  all  the  symptoms  into  account,  both  sub 
jective  and  objective  before  I  can  intelligently  prescribe." 

I  do  not  see,  then,  that  it  makes  any  difference  whether 
you  know  all  about  the  condition  of  the  organs,  or  can 
name  the  disease  or  not,"  said  Will. 

"Good  boy,  Will,"  smiled  the  Doctor.  ".You're  learning 
fast.  It  is  an  absolute  fact  that  some  of  the  best  shots  I  ever 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  97 

made  were  where  neither  I,  nor  any  living  man,  could  make 
what  we  term  the  diagnosis — that  is,  name  the  disease.  I 
will  give  you  a  case  in  point:  A  good  many  years  ago,  when 
1  was  quite  a  young  physician,  there  came  into  my  office  a 
man  who  desired  me  to  go  with  him  and  see  a  sick  babe.  I 
found  the  most  miserable  looking  three  months'  old  child 
1  had  ever  seen.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  emaciation  and 
puniness  of  the  little  creature,  and  the  mother  was  carrying 
it  about  upon  a  pillow.  For  six  weeks  it  had  cried  night 
and  day,  almost  incessantly,  except  when  under  the  influ 
ence  of  opiates.  Five  old  school  doctors  had  done  what 
they  could,  and  at  last  had  declared  that  it  could  not  live. 
They  had  not  been  able  to  establish  the  diagnosis,  and  so 
were  at  sea  as  to  treatment.  I  sat  beside  it  and  studied 
the  case  as  closely  as  possible  for  more  than  an  hour.  There 
was  but  one  peculiarity  or  symptom  upon  which  to  base  a 
prescription.  It  was  this:  It  would  lie  a  few  moments  ap 
parently  asleep,  then  it  would  give  a  start  and  begin  to 
scream  with  all  its  puny  power.  This  would  last  one  or  two 
minutes,  when  it  would  as  suddenly  fall  asleep  again.  This, 
they  assured  me,  was  the  way  it  had  performed  all  through 
its  illness,  except  when  opiated.  Tains  come  and  go  sud 
denly.'  That  was  all  I  had  to  go  on.  I  could  not  locate 
the  pains,  nor  by  any  possible  means  know  what  the  cause 
of  them  was;  but  I  did  know,  thank  God,  what  was  of 
infinitely  greater  importance:  I  knew  the  drug  that 
had  that  particular  symptom,  and  that  was  Belladonna. 
Into  half  a  tumblerful  of  water  I  dropped  five  or  six  drops 
of  the  two  hundredth  dilution  of  that  drug,  and  put  a  few 
drops  of  this  medicated  water  into  the  poor  little  thing's 
mouth." 

Here  the  Doctor  stopped,  knocked  the  ashes  from  his 
pipe,  arose  and  started  as  if  to  leave  the  room. 

"Hold  on,  Doctor,"  cried  Fred;  "I  am  very  much  inter 
ested  in  that  baby.  How  did  it  come  out  on  your  Bella 
donna  solution?" 

"0  yes!  I  should  have  said  that  it  immediately  went  to 
sleep,  and  did  not  awaken  for  several  hours.  It  never 
cried  again,  received  no  more  medicine,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
would  have  made  a  model  picture  for  a  patent  baby  food 
company.  It  only  received  the  one  little  dose  that  I  gave 
it." 

7 


98  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"I  declare/'  said  the  Count,  laughing  heartily,  "that 
it  sounds  absurd  beyond  anything  I  ever  heard  in  my  life. 
Yet  who  has  greater  reason  to  know  it  to  be  absolutely  true 
than  myself.  Go  on,  Doctor;  I  am  prepared  to  believe 
anything  you  are  pleased  to 'tell  us  of  your  miraculous  sys 
tem." 

"Before  I  go  I  think  I  will  spin  you  one  more  story," 
said  the  Doctor,  reseating  himself.  "This  is  what  might 
be  termed  the  reductio  ad  absurdum  of  prescribing  merely 
for  the  disease  by  name,  irrespective  of  symptomatology. 
I  was  called  to  see  a  poor  Dutchman  who  was  in  the  last 
stage  of  pulmonary  consumption.  He  had  just  been 
brought  home  from  a  certain  city,  where  he  had  been  in  a 
hospital  for  two  or  three  months. 

"Well,  Hans,"  I  said,  "how  did  they  use  you  at  the  hos 
pital;  they  are  very  scientific  there,  you  know,  and  must 
have  done  great  things  for  you/  * 

"0  Doctor!"  he  groaned,  "dondt  speak  aboudt  dem  fel 
lers.  Dey  vos  de  piggest  lot  of  shackasses  I  ef er  saw." 

"Why,  Hans,  I  am  surprised  at  you!  What  did  they  do 
that  did  not  please  you?" 

"Veil,  I  tells  you.  Ven  I  goes  into  dot  hoshpital,  dey 
examines  mine  lungs.  Den  dey  puts  me  into  a  pedt  mit  a 
pig  card  hanging  ofer  mine  hedt,  und  dere  vos  on  dot  card 
in  pig  letters,  de  vird,  CONSUMPTION".  I  tink  dey  puts 
dot  card  dere  to  encourage  me  ven  I  looks  at  him.  Und  in 
a  leedle  pox  py  mine  hedt,  dey  puts  a  pottle  of  medticine 
und  say  to  me,  'You  dakes  a  teaspoonful  of  dot  efery  dree 
hours/  So  I  do  dot.  It  vos  awful  stuff  but  I  sticks  to 
him  aboudt  dree  veeks.  Den  I  can  no  more  dake  it.  It 
makes  me  so  seek  to  mine  stummick  dot  I  gan  no  more  eat 
anyting.  So  I  say  to  de  steward  von  morning,  'I  gan  no 
more  dake  dot  medticine.  I  must  haf  some  oder  kind/ 
Veil,  sir,  you  should  haf  seen  dot  feller  look  at  me.  He 
lifts  up  his  hands  und  says,  'I  shoost  adtmire  you,  Hans/ 
'What  for  you  adtmire  me?'  Tecause  you  vos  de  piggest 
kicker  dot  efer  comes  into  dis  hoshpital.  Now  look  at 
yourself.  You  vos  oxamined  und  put  into  de  ped  to  which 
you  pelong.  Dere  ish  de  card  hanging  ofer  your  hedt  vot 
tells  vot  vos  der  matter  mit  you.  Und  den  dere  ish  der 
medticine  for  consumption  in  de  pottle  py  your  hedt.  Dot 
medticine  is  Doctor  Smith's  favorite  prescription  for  dot 


DR.  JONES'  riCMC.  99 

disease.  Und  mit  all  dot  you  kicks.  Vot  more  do  you 
want?'  'Veil/. I  say,  'I  gan  no  more  dake  dot  medticine. 
It  makes  me  awful  seek.'  'Now,  Hans,  dondt  be  so  un 
reasonable.  You  pelongs  to  dot  ped,  und  whoefer  goes 
into  dot  ped  dakes  dot  medticine. Dondt  you  see?'  'But 
I  dells  you  dot  I.  gan  no  more  dake  dot  medticine.  It  vill 
kill  me.  If  no  oder  medticine  goes  mit  this  ped,  put  me 
in  some  oder  ped  dot  has  a  tifferent  pottle,  I  cares  not  what 
it  is.'  But  no,  sir!  dey  keeps  me  in  dot  ped.  So  I  spidts 
Doctor  Smith's  tarn  stuff  into  de  slop  bowl,  und  comes 
home  so  quick  as  I  gan." 

<el  could  hardly  credit  Hans'  story,  and  told  it  as  a  joke 
to  an  old  school  physician  who  was  familiar  with  the  hospi 
tal  where  Hans  had  been.  To  my  surprise  he  did  not  seem 
to  see  any  joke  in  it.  'Can  it  be  possible,'  said  I,  'that 
Hans  told  the  truth?'  'Well/  said  he,  'in  all  but  one  par 
ticular  I  think  that  he  did/  'And  what  was  that  particu 
lar?'  I  asked.  'The  card  above  his  head  did  not  have  on 
it,  'Consumption/  but  'Phthisis  Pulmonalis.' " 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Count  Steps  Over  the  Line. 

The  Silver  Cloud's  crew,  if  we  may  so  term  it,  had  bus 
ied  themselves  in  various  ways,  according  to  their  several 
dispositions  and  bents  of  mind.  Dr.  Jones  was  occupied 
more  or  less  of  the  time  with  the  invalids,  who  came  to 
him  from  far  and  wide.  The  most  inveterate  cases  of 
chronic  diseases  constituted  the  bulk  of  his  practice,  and 
the  cures  that  he  made  were  truly  marvelous.  The  patience 
and  interest  of  the  Count  never  flagged  a  moment.  He  con 
tinued  at  his  post  and  interpreted  for  the  Doctor  with  sur 
prising  fidelity.  Dr.  Jones  was  so  pleased  with  him  that  he 
explained  to  his  noble  student  every  case  for  which  he  pro 
scribed,  told  him  the  name  of  the  drug  and  precisely  why 
he  gave  it.  Surely  here  was  a  model  teacher  and  an  ideal 
student. 

Let  it  not  be  inferred  that  our  Doctor  was  infallible,  nor 
that  he  always  cured. 

"There  are  many  cases  that  are  incurable.  Sir  Count,  and 
we  must  learn  to  know  them  almost  by  intuition.  The  caus 
es  of  failure  are  numerous,  but  you  will  notice  that  they  are 
always  to  be  found  in  the  physician  or  patient;  never  in  the 
law  of  cure.  If  I  be  not  able  to  apprehend  and  duly  esti 
mate  the  symptoms  of  a  given  case,  I  must,  of  necessity,  fail 
to  cure.  Or  if  the  patient  be  unruly,  stupid,  or  willful,  he 
must  pay  the  penalty.  Frequently,  the  case  has  been  ren 
dered  incurable  by  massive  dosage  or  surgery.  My  system 
cures  all  that  is  curable  when  intelligently  applied.  And 
you  will  notice  that  in  some  instances  there  is  an  absolute 
dearth  of  symptoms.  You  also  observe  that  I  give  them 
a  dose  and  tell  them  to  return  in  a  week  or  ten  days.  When 
they  return  they  often  exhibit  a  splendid  crop  of  symptoms, 
and  I  experience  no  trouble  then  in  finding  the  remedy. 
These  cases  usually  have  a  history  of  suppressed  eruption. 
At  some  time  in  their  lives  the  itch,  or  eczema,  or  some 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  101 

other  skin  trouble  has  been  driven  into  their  system  by 
external  medicaments  in  the  form  of  ointments,  washes, 
etc.  Lifelong  ailments,  over  which  the  old  school  have  no 
control,  are  the  result.  A  large  percentage  of  chronic  dis 
eases  are  due  to  this  cause  alone." 

And  so,  during  their  leisure  hours,  sitting  in  the  Count's 
office,  or  peripatetically  as  they  walked  together  in  the 
park,  the  enthusiastic  Doctor  taught  his  willing  and  at 
tentive  pupil. 

"Just  see  those  two  inseparables!"  cried  Feodora  to  Mrs. 
Jones  and  Mattie,  as  they  sat  by  the  front  reception-room 
window,  looking  out  upon  the  park.  The  Doctor  and  Count 
were  promenading  before  the  great  building,  the  former 
with  head  erect,  hands  extended  before  him,  lecturing  upon 
his  favorite  theme.  The  towering  figure  of  the  Count 
strode  along  beside  him,  hands  clasped  behind  and  head 
bent  well  forward,  listening  attentively  to  every  word. 

"I  do  believe  that  my  father  will  be  so  enthusiastic  a 
convert  to  the  Doctor's  system,  that  he  will  get  books  and 
medicines  and  practice  upon  our  poor  people  when  you 
are  gone,"  said  Feodora. 

"And  he  could  not  do  a  better  thing,"  answered  Mrs. 
Jones.  "I  have  known  laymen  who  made  very  fine  pre- 
scribers.  The  Count  could  do  a  vast  amount  of  good  with 
a  set  of  books  and  medicines." 

"Then  you  can  rest  assured  that  he  will  do  so,"  returned 
Feodora.  "My  father  is  a  very  benevolent  man  naturally, 
but  was  fast  becoming  a  misanthrope  when  you  came 
among  us.  I  shall  never  cease  thanking  God  for  the  north 
ern  gale  that  blew  you  here." 

"Nor  shall  I,  dear  Feodora,"  said  Mrs.  Jones,  kissing  her 
with  great  affection.  "And  I  really  dread  the  time  when 
we  must  leave  you.  But  you  are  improving  so  rapidly 
that  we  must  go  before  many  weeks." 

"I  am  glad  to  get  well,  but  I  do  feel  sorry  to  think  of 
your  going.  But  I  do  not  give  up  ever  seeing  you  again. 
You  will  go  to  the  North  Pole  in  a  short  time,  and  then  re 
turn  home.  You  will  write  me  from  there,  both  you  and 
Mattie,  and  then  my  father  and  I  will  visit  you  and  bring 
you  home  with  us.  You  must  spend  a  winter  with  us  in 
our  capital  city.  It  is  the  most  beautiful  and  gayest  city 
in  Europe  in  its  season." 


102  OR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"And  you  shall  spend  a  winter  in  Washington/'  returned 
Mrs.  Jones. 

"I  have  never  seen  anything  so  beautiful  as  Washing 
ton,"  said  Mattie. 

And  so  the  friends  chatted  and  cemented  their  acquain 
tance  and  friendship  day  by  day,  planning  for  future  en 
joyment  of  each  other's  society. 

The  Count  and  Feodora  were  greatly  interested  in  their 
account  of  their  visit  with  the  Barton  family  in  Labrador. 

"By  the  way,"  said  Mattie,  "let's  go  up  to  Will's  studio 
and  see  his  painting  of  Jennie  Barton." 

Feodora  readily  assented.  "I  have  been  longing  for 
some  time  to  see  the  interior  of  your  beautiful  cabin,"  she 
said. 

They  slowly  walked  to  the  cage  and  mounted  to  the 
cabin,  a  distance  of  but  fifty  feet.  They  found  Will  at 
work  upon  a  local  landscape.  He  was  delighted  to  receive 
the  ladies,  especially  Feodora.  "This  augurs  well  for  our 
sailing  soon,  Miss  Feodora.  And  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
glad  we  all  are  to  see  you  recovering  so  rapidly." 

"I  told  Feodora  that  you  had  made  a  fine  painting  of 
Jennie  Barton.  We  have  told  her  all  about  our  visit  in 
Labrador,  and  she  wishes  to  see  your  painting  of  Jennie," 
said  Mattie. 

"I  am  only  too  proud  to  show  it  her,"  answered  Will,  and 
he  removed  a  cloth  from  the  painting  that  rested  upon  an 
easel. 

"What  a  sweet,  lovely  face!"  exclaimed  Feodora.  "I 
have  never  seen  anything  sweeter  in  my  life." 

Will  hastened  to  assure  her,  though  he  flushed  with 
pride,  that  it  lacked  very  much  of  doing  the  fair  Jennie 
justice. 

"There  is  something  so  good  and  pure  in  that  face,  that 
it  rests  one  to  look  at  it,"  said  the  fair  Russian. 

"Would  you  accept  it  from  me  as  a  present?"  asked  Will. 

"0  Mr.  Marsh!  would  you  really  part  with  it?" 

"I  shall  feel  greatly  honored  if  you  will  accept  it  from 
me.  I  intend  painting  another  immediately.  Whether  I 
shall  ever  reach  my  ideal,  I  do  not  know." 

"I  fear  that  you  never  will  until  you  return  to  Constance 
House,"  said  Mattie  slyly. 

"Now  Mattie,  that  is  very  unkind  of  you,"  cried  Will 
with  a  well-assumed  severity. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  103 

Feodora  thanked  Will  sincerely  for  his  present,  and  de 
clared  that  it  should  be  hung  in  her  room  where  she  might 
see  it  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  and  the  last  thing  at 
night.  "Surely  nothing  could  be  sweeter  and  more  inter 
esting  than  the  romance  connected  with  this  lovely  paint 
ing,"  said  she. 

Professor  Gray,  meantime,  had  not  been  idle  all  these 
weeks.  He  and  Denison  had  developed  an  affinity  for  each 
other,  and  spent  many  hours  together,  the  former  teaching 
the  latter  much  of  the  geology,  botany,  etc.,  of  the  country 
round  about.  And  with  rod  and  gun  they  kept  the  Count's 
table  well  supplied  with  game.  They  also  did  much  rid 
ing,  and  for  many  miles  they  became  familiar  objects  to  the 
inhabitants.  The  Professor  made  copious  notes  of  all  he 
saw  of  interest,  intending  it  as  subject  matter  for  a  future 
scientific  work. 

And  Fred  busied  himself  with  his  music.  He  had  dis 
covered  among  the  visitors  at  the  castle  a  young  Russian 
who  spoke  English  tolerably  well,  and  who  was  more  than 
an  ordinary  violinist.  They  immediately  formed  a  friend 
ship,  and  daily  sought  each  other's  society.  Fred  became  a 
great  favorite  among  the  local  talent,  and  many  were  the 
concerts  they  held  in  the  castle. 

Surely,  for  prisoners  in  a  foreign  land,  restrained  from 
going  about  their  legitimate  business,  our  friends  were  en 
joying  themselves  wonderfully.  The  Count  and  Feodora 
were  never  so  happy  as  when  doing  something  calculated 
to  enhance  the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  their  guests.  The 
days  flew  so  swiftly  by  that  the  time  for  their  departure 
was  near  at  hand  before  they  were  aware  of  it.  Feodora's 
recovery  was  uninterrupted,  and  she  had  gained  many 
pounds  of  flesh.  All  apprehensions  concerning  her  health 
had  about  disappeared.  The  Count  continued  his  medical 
studies  and  investigations  with  unabated  zeal  and  interest. 
The  action  of  the  infinitesimal  dose  was  a  knotty  question. 
He  could  not  deny  the  fact  that  they  exhibited  marvelous 

Eower  over  disease,  but  their  immateriality  staggered  his 
nth  at  times,  in  spite  of  all  that  he  had  seen  and  experi 
enced.    But  there  came  a  time  when  he  stepped  over  the 
line   forever.     He  was  "Born  into  the  Kingdom,"  as  the 
Doctor  expressed  it. 


104  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

There  came  a  messenger  at  midnight  one  dark,  stormy 
night,  from  a  castle  several  miles  distant.  A  letter  to  the 
Count  from  a  certain  Russian  Prince,  implored  him  to 
bring  the  American  Doctor  immediately  to  see  his  wife. 
The  Count  awoke  the  Doctor  and  told  him  that  he  would 
accompany  him,  if  he  would  go;  and  he  would  esteem  it  a 
personal  favor  if  he  would  attend  the  call. 

"Certainly,  I  will  go,"  said  Dr.  Jones  heartily,  and  he 
hastily  prepared  himself  for  the  journey. 

The  rain  poured  in  torrents,  and  the  heavy  covered  car 
riage  in  which  they  rode  lumbered  uncomfortably  over  the 
rough  country  roads. 

"You  should  introduce  the  horseless  carriage  into  your 
country,"  said  the  Doctor  as  he  bounced  about  upon  his 
seat.  "You  would  then  agitate  the  subject  of  good  roads/' 

At  last  they  reached  their  destination,  and  were  hurried 
to  the  bedside  of  the  suffering  Princess.  She  was  a  woman 
of  fifty-five,  large  and  fleshy,  sitting  bolt  upright  in  the 
middle  of  the  bed.  Her  distress  was  terrible.  The  Doctor 
took  the  symptoms  hurriedly  as  possible.  They  were: 

Violent  palpitation  of  the  heart.  The  bed  fairly  shook 
with  the  action  of  that  organ. 

Expectorating  large  quantities  of  frothy  blood. 

Breathing  exceedingly  labored;  could  not  lie  back  in  the 
least  degree. 

Stomach  and  bowels  enormously  distended  with  gas;  so 
much  so  that  she  could  not  lean  forward  at  all. 

Eructations  of  gas  in  large  quantities,  which  gave  no  re 
lief;  the  least  particle  of  food  or  drink  excited  these  eructa 
tions. 

A  very  profuse  cold  sweat  that  saturated  her  clothing 
and  bed. 

Great  thirst,  drinks  little  and  often. 

Lower  extremities  restless,  could  not  keep  them  quiet. 

Very  nervous  and  despairing. 

Here  was  a  terrible  case,  and  the  little  Doctor  studied  it 
with  the  greatest  possible  care.  He  learned  that  the  Prin 
cess  had  been  an  invalid  for  many  years.  She  had  taken 
vast  quantities  of  crude  drugs,  and  the  time  had  come  when 
her  stomach  rebelled  and  would  tolerate  no  more  drugging. 
The  great  physicians  of  Europe  had  been  consulted,  with 
out  permanent  benefit.  Her  regular  medical  attendant. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  105 

with  his  assistant,  was  now  present.  Dr.  Jones  was  intro 
duced  to  them,  and  such  courtesies  as  were  possible  under 
the  circumstances  were  extended  by  each.  They  gave  such 
information  as  possible  through  the  Count,  and  declared 
that  the  Princess  must  die  within  a  few  hours.  They  now 
stood  powerless  by,  very  curious  and  observant  of  every 
thing  the  Doctor  did. 

He  had  carefully  written  out  the  above  symptoms,  and 
now  retired  for  a  few  moments  with  the  Count  to  an  ad 
joining  room.  The  two  Russian  physicians  were  asked  to 
join  them,  as  a  matter  of  professional  courtesy. 

"This  is  a  desperate  affair/'  said  the  Count,  "and  I  fear 
that  your  infinitesimals  will  do  her  very  little  good." 

"Don't  be  so  sure,  Sir  Count.  You  may  see  something 
to-night  that  will  remove  your  last  remnant  of  unbelief," 
returned  the  Doctor,  as  he  turned  over  the  leaves  of  a 
materia  medica  that  he  had  brought  with  him. 

"There  is  undoubtedly  organic  disease  of  the  heart,  and 
other  complications  that  I  have  not  time  now  to  investigate. 
I  have  the  totality  of  symptoms  before  us,  and  I  have  found 
the  remedy  that  covers  them  precisely."  He  read  to  the 
Count  each  symptom,  and  showed  how  exactly  they  were 
covered  by  the  drug.  Some  degree  of  explanation  of  this 
was  made  the  native  physicians,  but  it  was  evidently  some 
thing  new  to  them  which  they  did  not  at  all  comprehend. 

"And  now  let  us  hasten  to  administer  a  dose  of  this 
drug." 

They  returned  to  the  sick  chamber.  Dr.  Jones  from  a 
small  case  vial  dropped  a  single  minim  into  a  teaspoon 
and  wiped  it  off  upon  her  tongue.  It  seemed  so  simple  and 
wholly  inadequate  a  thing  to  do  in  this  very  urgent  affair, 
that  the  Count  and  the  two  medical  men  could  not  repress 
their  smiles. 

But  the  Doctor  said,  "Wait  and  you  shall  see  the  glory 
of  God." 

Xot  more  than  three  minutes  later,  the  royal  patient, 
who  was  sitting  perfectly  erect,  eyes  closed,  suddenly  threw 
up  her  hands  and  cried  out  in  the  Russian  tongue,  "My 
<iod!  What  have  you  given  me?  Fm  drunk!"  and  fell 
back  upon  her  pillow  as  if  shot.  She  almost  immediately 
began  snoring  as  if  sound  asleep.  The  Prince,  Count,  and 
two  physicians  sprang  forward  in  great  alarm,  and  were 


106  I>R-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

about  to  raise  her  to  her  former  sitting  posture.  But  Doc 
tor  Jones  said  commandingly,  "Let  her  alone!  Do  not 
touch  her!" 

"But  she  is  dying!"  cried  Count  Icanovich. 

"No,  my  dear  Count,  she  is  sleeping  beautifully.  To 
awaken  her  now  would  be  fatal.  I  wish  all  to  leave  the 
room  but  her  nurse." 

Several  moments  later  the  Doctor  followed  them  to  the 
parlor.  The  Count  was  greatly  agitated,  and  stepped  up  ta 
him  immediately  as  he  entered. 

"How  is  she  now,  Doctor?" 

"Sleeping  as  peacefully  as  a  child." 

"And  is  it  a  natural,  healthful  sleep?" 

"Perfectly  so." 

"Doctor,  you  have  conquered  my  last  prejudice.  The 
modus  operandi  of  the  action  of  your  infinitesimals  I 
shall  never  comprehend.  But  that  they  do  operate,  im 
mediately,  powerfully,  and  beneficently,  I  can  no  longer 
doubt.  Now  please  let  me  see  the  vial  from  which  you 
poured  the  wonderful  drop  that  you  gave  Her  Highness." 

The  Doctor  complied,  and  the  Count  held  the  tiny  vial 
to  the  light  and  read  the  label,  "Cinchona  Officinalis,  30x.'* 

The  Prince  also  took  the  vial  into  his  hand,  looked  at  it 
with  curiosity,  and  made  a  remark  to  the  Count. 

"His  Highness  suggests  that  this  must  be  a  poison  of 
fearful  power,"  said  the  Count  to  Dr.  Jones. 

"Please  say  to  him  that  it  is  not  a  poison  in  any  sense  of 
the  word.  I  could  swallow  every  drop  of  it  with  perfect 
impunity,"  replied  Dr.  Jones. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  interest  and  curiosity  of  the 
two  physicians.  They  looked  at  the  vial  and  asked  ques 
tions  almost  without  number.  The  old  familiar  look  of  in 
credulity  crept  into  their  eyes  when  they  came  to  an  un 
derstanding  of  the  immateriality  of  the  dose.  They  were 
familiar  with  the  dogma  of  "S'imilia  similibus  curanter," 
or  "Like  cures  like,"  and  repudiated  it  at  once.  But  they 
said  nothing  of  it  to  the  Prince  or  Count  at  this  time.  The 
Count  a^ain  addressed  Dr.  Jones. 

"His  Highness  is  lost  in  wonder  at  the  magical  effect  of 
your  medicine,  and  desires  me  to  express  his  heart-felt 
gratitude  and  thanks." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  107 

The  Prince,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  took  the  Doctor's 
hand,  and  said  something  to  him  in  his  own  language. 

"He  says  that  he  can  never  repay  you  for  what  you  have 
done  to-night,  and  that  you  may  command  him  for  any 
thing  in  his  power,"  interpreted  the  Count. 

"Say  to  him  that  I  am  more  than  repaid  for  anything 
that  I  have  done.  Let  him  give  all  the  glory  to  God." 

After  ascertaining  that  the  Princess  still  slept  quietly, 
the  Doctor  and  Count  retired  for  the  remaining  hours  of 
the  night. 


108  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Farewell  to  Beauty  and  the  Beast. 

The  royal  patient  slept  soundly  until  eight  o'clock  the 
following*  morning,  or  six  consecutive  hours.  This  was  so 
entirely  new  and  different  from  anything  she  had  experi 
enced  for  a  very  long  time,  that  nothing  could  exceed  her 
own  and  the  astonishment  of  everyone  who  was  acquaint 
ed  with  the  facts.  Long  and  painful  had  been  her  nights, 
sleepless  and  full  of  misery,  unless  under  the  influence  of 
a  narcotic.  And,  as  we  said  before,  she  had  reached  a  point 
where  her  system  would  endure  no  more  of  crude  drugging. 
She  always  awoke  unrefreshed  and  miserable  from  these 
unnatural,  forced  sleeps.  So  when  she  awoke  this  morn 
ing,  refreshed  and  rested,  her  gratitude  was  boundless. 

Dr.  Jones  received  her  grateful  expressions  with  the  sim 
ple,  modest  dignity  that  is  characteristic  of  the  good  and 
intelligent  the  world  over.  He  made  now  a  critical  ex 
amination  of  the  heart,  and  found  it  incurably  affected. 
And  there  were  complications  of  the  digestive  organs,  etc., 
that  we  need  not  stop  to  mention.  He  acquainted  the 
Prince  with  the  conditions  he  had  found,  and  showed  him 
why  she  could  not  be  cured.  But  he  assured  his  royal 
patron,  that  she  might  be  kept  comfortable,  and  her  life 
indefinitely  prolonged  by  treating  her  case  symptomati- 
cally  as  occasion  should  require. 

He  remained  at  the  castle  several  days.  In  two  weeks 
the  royal  lady  who  had  been  devoted  to  immediate  death 
l>y  that  school  of  medicine  which  arrogates  unto  itself  the 
terms,  "Liberal,"  "Regular,"  and  "Scientific,"  walked  in 
her  garden! 

The  effect  upon  the  Count  was  past  our  powers  of  de 
scription.  "Doctor  Jones,"  he  crie.d,  "I  am  converted  not 
only  to  your  system,  but  to  God!  I  realized,  as  I  witnessed 
the  astounding  power  of  the  infinitesimal  dose  in  this  re 
markable  case,  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  our  Heavenly 


Dtt.  JONES'  P1CMC.  109 

Father.  And  I  now  say  to  you,  that  I  am  devoted  to  your 
cause,  and  I  shall  never  rest  until  your  school  of  medicine 
shall  have  free  course  throughout  all  Russia.  And  you 
can  rest  assured  that  the  Prince's  influence,  conjoined  with 
my  own,  will  have  sufficient  weight  at  court  to  break  down 
all  barriers  and  opposition  to  the  propagandism  of  your 
blessed  system  of  medicine.  This  shall  be  my  life  work, 
and  I  only  wish  that  you  were  going  to  stay  with  me.  But 
I  will  not  urge  that  point,  as  I  know  that  you  are  pledged 
to  prosecute  your  effort  to  reach  the  North  Pole.  You  will 
succeed  in  that  enterprise,  and  the  world  will  ring  with 
your  praise.  But  far  grander  than  all  this  is  your  simple, 
sublime  faith  in  God,  and  in  the  beautiful  law  by  which  you 
are  guided  in  the  selection  of  the  remedy  in  the  treatment 
of  the  sick.  I  am  a  far  better  man,  physically,  morally,  and 
spiritually  for  having  met  you/' 

"If  my  visit  to  Russia  shall  effect  the  recognition  of  my 
school  by  your  Government,  I  shall  forever  thank  God  for 
sending  me  here.  This  is  probably  the  entering  wedge 
that  shall  open  Europe  to  us,  and  induce  the  inquiry  and 
investigation  that  we  crave.  Let  our  system  stand  or  fall 
upon  its  merits." 

And  so  the  friends  conversed  and  laid  their  plans  for  the 
introduction  of  the  new  medical  system  into  Europe.  The 
Prince  also  joined  them  in  their  plans,  and  his  enthusiasm 
quite  equaled  that  of  the  Count.  Among  other  items,  the 
two  noble  converts  made  arrangements  to  purchase  a  com 
plete  stock  of  books  and  drugs.  Dr.  Jones  daily  taught 
them  the  art  of  "taking  a  case,"  as  he  called  it;  or  the  ex 
amination  of  a  patient  and  writing  down  the  symptoms. 

The  three  months  had  expired  and  Feodora's  condition 
was  far  above  the  danger  mark.  She  was  beautiful,  rosy, 
and  blushing,  romping  about  with  Mattie,  like  a  great 
school-girl.  So  now  the  morning  of  their  departure  was 
set.  The  news  was  heralded  far  and  wide  that  the  great 
air-ship  would  sail  upon  a  certain  day  if  the  wind  were 
favorable. 

The  morning  had  arrived,  the  wind  was  blowing  within 
a  point  or  two  of  north,  and  every  preparation  had  been 
made  for  hoisting  anchors.  A  vast  concourse  of  people 
had  assembled  to  witness  their  departure.  The  many 
friends  of  the  voyagers  were  present  in  force,  and  they 


HO  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

loaded  them  with  presents,  many  of  them  very  costly.  Dr. 
Jones'  practice  had  been  lucrative  beyond  anything  he  had 
ever  dreamed  of.  He  found  himself  suddenly  made  a 
wealthy  man.  The  gratitude  of  the  people  was  boundless; 
and  the  simple-hearted  man  scarcely  knew  what  to  do  with 
all  the  money  that  poured  in  upon  him.  So  he  caused  a 
considerable  portion  of  it  to  be  distributed  among  the  poor 
peasantry  in  the  vicinity  of  the  castle.  He  felt  a  great 
sense  of  sorrow  as  he  looked  upon  the  many  faces  that  he 
had  learned  to  love.  But  all  was  ready  and  he  must  away. 

"I  have  spent  some  of  the  happiest  hours  of  my  life  with 
yourself  and  daughter,  my  dear  Count,  and  truly  hope  to 
visit  you  again  and  enjoy  your  hospitality.  Good-bye,  and 
God  bless  you  all." 

He  had  shaken  hands  with  all  those  immediately  about 
him,  among  whom  were  the  Prince  and  Princess,  and  step 
ped  with  Mrs.  Jones  into  the  cage.  It  shot  up  to  the  en 
gine-room,  the  anchors  and  cables  were  cast  off,  and  the 
splendid  globe,  so  long  bound  in  chains  to  the  earth,  arose 
majestically  into  the  blue  vault  above.  Loud  and  mighty 
were  the  cheers  that  followed  them.  Silver  Cloud,  as  if 
impatient  at  the  long  delay  in  Eussia,  rapidly  ascended 
three  thousand  feet,  and  flew  northward  at  tremendous 
speed. 

"Could  deliverance  have  come  to  your  house  and  mine 
more  appropriately  than  from  the  skies,  and  in  yonder  sil 
ver  chariot?"  asked  the  Count  of  his  two  royal  friends, 
while  they  stood  watching  the  rapidly  disappearing  Silver 
Cloud. 

"The  deliverance  has  not  come  to  us  alone,  but  to  the 
suffering  millions  of  Russia,  Count  Icanovich.  And  all 
through  the  faithfulness  and  earnestness  of  that  modest, 
yet  wonderful  little  man,  Doctor  Jones.  But  as  he  said 
over  and  over  again,  'Let  us  give  God  all  the  glory/  "  re 
plied  the  Prince. 

The  company,  meanwhile,  though  much  regretting  the 
parting  with  their  new  found  friends,  yet  were  exhil 
arated  with  the  idea  that  they  were  again  rapidly  rush 
ing  toward  the  object  of  their  expedition.  Their  sup 
plies  of  food,  fuel,  clothing,  etc.,  had  been  fully  replen 
ished  so  far  as  was  necessary,  and  nothing  should  now  pre 
vent  their  reaching  the  Pole  at  an  exceedingly  early  date. 


DK.  JONES'  PICNIC.  m 

This  they  were  the  more  anxious  to  do,  as  the  season  was 
getting  well  advanced,  and  they  desired  to  be  out  of  the 
Arctic  region  before  winter  should  set  in.  This  was  not 
a  matter  of  so  much  concern  to  them,  however,  as  it  had 
been  to  all  previous  explorers  of  these  frigid  regions.  The 
navigators  of  Silver  Cloud  had  no  frozen  seas  nor  icebergs 
to  contend  with,  and  could  soar  above  all  clouds  and  storms. 
And  the  matter  of  temperature  was  of  little  consequence  to 
them;  for,  as  Will  had  said,  the  cabin  was  so  constructed 
that  frost  could  never  penetrate  its  beautiful  aluminum 
walls. 

So  they  were  jubilant  and  happy.  Even  Sing — whom, 
by  the  way,  we  have  shamefully  neglected  during  the  past 
three  months — joined  in  the  general  hilarity,  and  treated 
them  to  many  Eussian  dishes  that  he  had  picked  up  in  the 
kitchen  of  the  castle,  where  he  had  spent  his  time  during 
their  stay  there. 

The  wind  continued  all  day  from  the  south,  so  that  by 
evening  they  sighted  the  city  of  Archangel  away  to  their 
left.  All  night  they  sped  at  express  train  speed  toward 
their  destination.  When  they  looked  out  in  the  morning 
from  the  balcony,  the  northern  coast  of  Russia  was  indis 
tinctly  seen  in  the  southern  horizon,  and  they  were  again 
floating  over  the  floes  and  bergs  of  Arctic  seas. 

"We  have  crossed  the  70th  degree  of  latitude/'  said  the 
Professor  at  breakfast.  "We  are  heading  directly  for 
Franz  Joseph  Land.  We  should  sight  that  island  by  noon 
at  our  present  rate  of  speed." 

All  expressed  themselves  as  delighted  at  the  marvelous 
performance  of  Silver  Cloud,  and  Denison  declared  that  he 
should  never  be  contented  to  settle  down  to  slow  going 
terrestrial  life  again. 

"I  move  that  we  set  out  for  the  South  Pole  as  soon  as 
we  get  back  to  Washington,"  said  he. 

"I  second  the  motion!"  cried  Mattie. 

"I  don't  know  whether  women  have  the  elective  fran 
chise  in  this  country  or  not,"  laughingly  replied  Dr.  Jones. 
"At  all  events,  let's  get  back  to  Washington  before  we  plan 
any  more  expeditions.  I  do  not  doubt  that  the  South  Pole 
will  be  our  next  objective  point." 

"Just  imagine  the  American  flag  flying  at  the  two  poles 
of  the  earth!"  cried  Professor  Gray.  "What  could  be  more 
.appropriate  and  grander!  I  believe  Denison's  motion  to  be 


112  l^R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

strictly  in  order.  As  to  Mattie's  second,  I  am  for  female 
suffrage,  here  and  everywhere  upon  earth.  Without  it 
woman  is  but  a  slave,  and  can  be  but  what  her  lord  and 
master,  man,  permits  her  to  be." 

"Hear!  hear!"  cried  the  ladies,  clapping  their  hands. 

"What  an  old  Bluebeard  of  a  husband  you  have,  haven't 
you  r"  said  the  Doctor  to  Mrs.  Jones. 

"Oh!  you  are  fishing  for  compliments/'  she  returned 
archl.y  "But  I  tell  you,  sir,  that  I  have  my  eye  upon  you. 
Did  you  all  notice  how  the  Princess,  Feodora,  and  a  lot 
more  of  those  Eussian  ladies  cried  over  him  when  we  were 
parting  from  them?"  and  she  shook  her  finger  at  him  from 
the  lower  end  of  the  table,  and  tried  so  hard  to  look  jealous 
and  mad,  and  made  so  dismal  a  failure  of  it,  that  they  all 
laughed  heartily. 

And  so  they  merrily  chatted  through  the  meal.  The 
men  then  resorted  to  the  smoking-room,  and  when  all  had 
lighted  their  cigars  or  pipes,  Fred  asked: 

"Which  of  the  battles  of  the  war  of  the  great  Kebellion 
do  you  consider  to  have  been  the  hardest  fought,  Doctor 
Jones?" 

"Chickamauga  is  conceded  by  the  majority  of  our  his 
torians  to  have  been  the  most  savagely  contested  of  the 
great  battles  of  the  war.  Something  near  forty  per  cent 
of  the  men  engaged  were  killed,  wounded,  or  taken  pris 
oner." 

"Were  you  in  that  battle,  Doctor?" 

"I  was." 

"I  would  be  glad  if  you  would  tell  us  about  it;  that  is, 
I  mean,  your  own  personal  experiences." 
'  "Well,"  returned  Dr.  Jones,  taking  a  look  out  of  the 
window  by  which  he  sat,  "we  are  spinning  along  at  a  rat 
tling  gait  toward  Franz  Joseph  Land,  and  I  don't  know 
that  we  can  do  any  better  than  tell  war  stories  to  pass  away 
time. 

"I  believe  I  told  you  that  I  was  fifteen  years  old  when 
I  enlisted.  The  battle  of  Chicamauga  occurred  Sep 
tember  19,  and  20,  1863,  one  year  after  my  enlistment,  so 
that  I  was  a  lad  of  sixteen  at  the  time  of  the  battle.  You 
cannot  presume  that  a  boy  would  have  seen  much  that 
would  be  of  historical  value,  where  all  was  horrible  roar 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  113 

of  musketry,  booming  of  cannon,  confusion,  and  blood 
curdling  yells  of  charging  battalions. 

"The  morning  of  September  19,  1863,  dawned  upon  us 
beautiful  and  bright.  I  shall  never  forget  that  lovely 
morning.  Throughout  the  rank  and  file  of  our  army  there 
was  a  feeling  that  we  were  upon  the  eve  of  a  great  battle; 
but  we  did  not  dream  that  the  armies  of  Bragg  and  Long- 
street  had  combined,  and  we  were  opposing  from  fifty-five 
thousand  to  seventy-five  thousand  men.  But  our  confidence 
in  our  commander,  General  Eosecranz,  was  so  great  that  we 
would  have  fought  them  just  the  same  if  we  had  known  of 
the  great  odds  against  us. 

"Heavy  skirmishing  began  quite  early  in  the  morning 
along  the  picket  lines.  This  gradually  swelled  into  the 
incessant  roar  of  pitched  battle.  At  about  nine  o'clock  we 
were  ordered  to  the  front  at  a  double-quick.  We  crossed  a 
field,  then  into  a  wood  where  we  met  the  fire  of  the  enemy. 
Being  a  musician  I  was  counted  a  noncombatant,  and  my 
duties  during  battle  consisted  in  helping  the  wounded  back 
to  hastily  extemporized  hospitals. 

"So  on  we  charged  into  the  woods,  already  densely  filled 
with  smoke.  Then  the  bullets  flew  swiftly  about  us,  and 
men  began  falling  along  the  line.  I  set  to  work  helping 
the  wounded  to  the  rear.  I  had  just  been  to  the  hospital 
with  a  poor  fellow  from  my  company,  and  hastened  back 
to  where  I  had  last  seen  the  regiment.  They  had  made  a 
flank  movement  to  the  left,  but  I,  supposing  that  they  had 
advanced  and  were  driving  the  enemy  like  chaff  before 
them,  traveled  straight  on  through  the  woods,  and  out  into 
an  open  field.  What  a  sight  was  there!  Dead  and  wounded 
Confederates  lay  thickly  strewn  in  every  direction.  I  was 
really  in  what  had  just  been  the  Confederate  lines,  and 
was  in  imminent  peril  of  being  shot  or  captured. 

"Several  of  the  wounded  spoke  to  me,  '0  Yank!  for  God's 
sake,  give  me  a  drink  of  water.'  I  felt  alarmed  at  my  posi 
tion,  but  I  could  not  resist  the  appeals  of  these  poor  fellows. 
So  I  gave  water  to  many  from  the  canteens  that  I  found 
scattered  about  the  field.  I  spread  blankets  for  others  who 
asked  me;  dragged  some  of  them  into  the  shade,  for  the 
sun  was  very  hot.  And  so  I  spent  a  considerable  time 
among  them,  doing  such  little  offices  as  1  could.  For  these 

8 


114  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

services  they  were  very  grateful,  some  of  them  calling  down 
the  blessings  of  heaven  upon  my  head.  I  have  always  been 
glad  that  I  incurred  this  risk  of  life  and  liberty  for  these 
dying  men.  But  at  last  I  felt  that  I  dared  not  stop  longer, 
and  started  to  retrace  my  steps  to  the  woods,  when  I  heard 
a  terrible  wailing  and  moaning  a  few  yards  to  my  right.  I 
rushed  to  the  spot  and  saw  a  poor  Confededrate  boy,  about 
my  own  age,  at  the  foot  of  a  great  poplar  tree,  in  the  midst 
of  a  brush  heap,  trying  to  spread  his  blanket.  I  did  not  at 
first  see  what  the  cause  of  his  terrible  outcry  was.  'What 
is  the  matter,  Johnnie?'  I  asked.  He  lifted  his  face  to  me, 
and  I  shall  never  forget  the  awful  sight!  A  bullet  had  shot 
away  the  anterior  part  of  each  eye  and  the  bridge  of  the 
nose,  and  in  this  sightless  condition  he  was  trying  in  the 
midst  of  the  brush  heap  to  spread  his  blanket  and  lie 
down  to  die!  As  he  moved  about  upon  his  hands  and  knees 
the  ends  of  the  dry  twigs,  stiff  and  merciless  as  so  many 
wires,  would  jag  his  bleeding  and  sightless  eyeballs.  I 
could  not  leave  him  in  this  condition,  and  so  helped  him 
from  the  brush  heap  to  a  smooth,  shady  place,  spread  his 
blanket  for  him,  put  a  canteen  of  water  by  him,  and  then 
ran  for  the  Union  lines,  not  a  moment  too  soon. 

"All  day  the  battle  raged  with  terrible  fury  until  long 
after  the  shades  of  night  had  fallen.  Indeed,  the  heaviest 
musketry  I  ever  heard  occurred  some  time  after  pitch  dark 
ness  had  completely  enveloped  us.  My  supper  that  night 
was  a  very  plain  one.  A  piece  of  corn  bread,  or  hoe  cake, 
that  I  had  abstracted  from  the  haversack  of  a  dead  South 
erner,  and  a  canteen  of  cold  water  constituted  that  simple 
meal.  I  really  felt  a  sense  of  gratitude  toward  the  poor 
Confederate,  who  had  undoubtedly  baked  the  corn  bread 
that  morning,  little  thinking  that  it  was  destined  to  be 
eaten  by  a  miserable  Yankee  drummer  boy.  But  such  is 
the  fate  of  war. 

"  It  had  been  very  hot  during  the  day,  but  the  night  was 
bitterly  cold.  There  was  a  heavy  frost  that  night,  and  un 
der  a  thick  blanket  upon  the  bare  ground,  I  slept  by  fitful 
snatches.  Let  me  tell  you,  friends,  that  the  most  terrible 
place  upon  earth  is  a  battlefield  at  night.  The  groans  of 
the  wounded  men  and  horses  are  awful  beyond  anything 
I  ever  heard.  All  night  I  could  hear  their  heartrending 
cries,  but  in  the  pitch  darkness  could  do  nothing  to  help 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  115 

them.  How  many  times  I  thought  of  my  far  away  north 
ern  home  during  that  awful  night.  Should  I  live  through 
the  morrow?  for  the  battle  would  certainly  be  resumed 
with  the  return  of  daylight.  Should  I  ever  see  mother, 
brothers  and  sisters,  home  and  friends  again?" 

Here  the  Doctor  sang  softly  and  slowly  part  of  the  pa 
thetic  old  war  song: 

"Comrades  brave  around  me  lying, 

Filled  with  thoughts  of  home  and  God; 

For  well  they  know  that  on  the  morrow 
Some  must  sleep  beneath  the  sod." 

The  little  party  were  deeply  impressed,  for  the  Doctor 
was  a  good  story  teller,  and  was  himself  much  affected  at 
this  point. 

"The  much  longed  for,  yet  dreaded,  daylight  dawned 
at  last.  It  was  Sunday  morning.  For  some  reason  hostili 
ties  were  not  immediately  resumed.  The  sun  rose  in  beauty 
and  splendor,  warming  our  chilled  bones  and  blood  in  a 
way  that  was  exceedingly  grateful  to  us.  For  a  little  time 
all  was  so  quiet  and  still  that  it  only  lacked  the  sweet  tones 
of  church  bells,  calling  us  to  the  house  of  God,  to  have 
made  us  forget  that  we  were  enemies,  and  have  induced  u« 
to  rest  from  our  fearful,  uncanny  works  for  this  holy  Sab 
bath  at  least.  But  no!  soon  the  battle  was  on  again  with 
greater  vigor,  if  possible,  than  ever.  Before  noon  our 
Hanks  were  completely  routed;  and,  but  for  that  magnifi 
cent  man,  the  peer  of  any  soldier  of  any  nation  or  age,  Gen 
eral  George  H.  Thomas,  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  should 
be  here  now,  telling  my  little  story.  While  Rosecranz, 
whipped  and  beaten,  fled  to  Chattanooga  and  telegraphed 
to  Washington  that  everything  was  lost,  and  the  Cumber 
land  army  a  thing  of  the  past,  General  Thomas,  with  a  few 
thousand  men,  checked  and  held  at  bay  this  great  Southern 
army,  flushed  with  victory  though  it  was.  How  the  mighty 
host  rolled  and  surged  against  this  single  army  corps,  but 
could  not  break  nor  beat  them  back.  While  Crittenden's 
and  McCook's  corps  were  completely  routed  and  disorgan 
ized,  Thomas  with  his  14th  corps  thus  stood  the  brunt  of 
battle,  and  saved  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  from  total 
annihilation.  Well  may  we  call  him  the  Rock  of  Chicka- 
manga! 


116  T>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"My  father  was  quartermaster-sergeant  of  the  regiment 
and  I  saw  him  for  the  first  time  during  the  battle  on  Sun 
day  morning.  We  were  trudging  along  with  the  rout — for 
it  could  not  he  called  army  that  Sunday  afternoon — to 
ward  Chattanooga.  We  knew  that  we  had  sustained  defeat, 
hut  we  did  not  realize  how  desperate  the  situation  was.  A 
"brigadier-general  was  passing  us,  when  a  private  rushed  up 
to  him  and  asked,  '0  General!  where  is  the  87th  Indiana?' 
— I  think  that  was  the  regiment  he  mentioned.  'There  is 
no  87th  Indiana.  All  is  lost!  Get  to  Chattanooga!'  he 
shouted  ,and  galloped  toward  the  city,  unattended  by  any 
of  his  staff. 

"  'Did  you  hear  that,  John  V  asked  my  father. 

"  'I  did/  I  replied. 

"  'Well,  if  you  expect  to  ever  see  your  mother  again, 
you  must  do  some  good  traveling  now/ 

"As  we  had  an  intense  desire  to  see  her  again  we  started 
down  the  road  at  a  good  pace.  We  distinctly  heard  the 
Confederate  cavalrymen  crying,  'Stop,  you  blankety  blank 
ed  Yankees!'  But  we  felt  that  our  business  in  Chattanooga 
demanded  immediate  attention,  and  we  had  no  time  to 
spare  them. 

"Passing  a  certain  place,  I  saw  General  Thomas  standing 
upon  the  brow  of  Snodgrass  Hill,  or  Horseshoe  Ridge,  field 
glass  in  hand,  intently  watching  the  movements  of  the 
troops.  I  distinctly  remember  his  full-bearded,  leonine 
face,  and  little  did  we  know  that  the  fate  of  the  Cumber 
land  Army,  or  possibly  of  the  Nation,  rested  upon  that 
single  man  that  terrible  Sunday  afternoon.  What  a  migh 
ty  responsibility!  But  there  he  stood,  a  tower  of  strength, 
the  Rock  of  Chickamauga  indeed!  With  but  a  single  line 
he  repelled  charge  after  charge  of  Longstreet's  consoli 
dated  ranks. 

ff  And  so  we  fought  the  most  sanguinary  battle  of  mod 
ern  times,  yet  utterly  bootless  so  far  as  immediate  results 
were  concerned.  One  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  men 
were  engaged  with  a  loss  of  nearly  fifty  thousand,  or  a  lit 
tle  less  than  forty  per  cent.  This  battle  should  never  have 
been  fought.  Rosecranz  here  lost  his  military  prestige  that 
he  had  so  splendidly  won  at  Stone's  River.  Thomas  alone 
achieved  on  this  field  immortal  glory,  and  was  the  one  great 


DR.  JONES    PICNIC.  117 

hero  of  the  occasion.  The  Confederates  claimed  it  as  a  vic 
tory,  but  they  should  daily  thereafter  have  asked  a  kind 
Providence  to  keep  them  from  any  more  such  victories. 

"The  next  day  Thomas  followed  us  into  Chattanooga, 
and  Bragg  and  Longstreet  perched  with  their  armies  upon 
Lookout  Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge.  From  these  ele 
vations  they  watched  us  with  Argus  eyes.  Our  supplies 
were  completely  cut  off  and  we  were  soon  reduced  to  the 
point  of  star — But  here,  you  fellows  are  getting  tired,  and 
so  am  I.  I  will  tell  you  about  the  siege  of  Chattanooga  and 
battle  of  Missionary  Bidge  some  other  time." 


118  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Woman  Locates  the  North  Pole. 

Silver  Cloud  hastened  on  with  the  favoring  gale  from 
the  balmy  South.  By  noon  the  coast  of  Franz  Joseph 
Land  could  be  seen.  They  were  now  near  the  eightieth 
degree  of  latitude.  During  the  afternoon  they  crossed  that 
land  of  eternal  winter.  Monotonous  mountains,  hills, 
and  plains  of  everlasting  snow  and  ice  wearied  the  eye,  and 
caused  a  sense  of  seasickness  and  vertigo  if  looked  upon  too 
long.  The  Doctor  had  treated  these  symptoms  in  each  as 
they  occurred,  and  our  friends  had  experienced  but  little 
of  the  inconvenience  due  to  this  cause  that  is  suffered  by 
most  aeronauts.  They  had  entirely  lost  their  sense  of  in 
security  and  fear,  and  nothing  could  be  more  comfortable 
and  pleasant  than  were  the  accomodations  of  the  cabin  of 
Silver  Cloud,  even  in  this  exceedingly  high  latitude.  And 
oh!  those  walks  about  the  balcony  of  Silver  Cloud!  How 
invigorating  and  healthful!  So  vast  were  the  proportions 
of  the  globe  that  there  was  no  swaying,  shaking,  nor 
trembling  ever  perceptible.  It  was  as  if  the  splendid  struc 
ture  were  a  rock,  and  all  the  world  a  swift  flying  pano 
rama  far  beneath  them.  Very  strange  and  weird  was  the 
sight  of  the  sun,  traveling  in  one  continuous  circuit  but  a 
few  degrees  above  the  horizon,  never  rising  nor  setting  dur 
ing  six  months  of  the  year.  The  atmosphere  was  particu 
larly  clear  and  frosty,  so  that  as  they  promenaded  the  bal 
cony,  or  sat  in  the  observatory,  they  were  obliged  to  don 
their  beautiful  sealskins,  a  complete  outfit  of  which  Count 
Icanovich  had  presented  to  each  member  of  the  company. 

All  were  exceedingly  happy  and  jubilant.  The  wind  con 
tinued  very  nearly  as  before,  and  within  twenty-four  hours, 
nothing  preventing,  they  would  stand  at  the  coveted  spot 
—the  North  Pole. 

At  dinner  time  Franz  Joseph  Land  was  far  behind  them, 
and  they  were  sailing  over  the  dark  blue  waters  of  the  Arc- 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  119 

tic  Ocean,  more  or  less  filled  with  great  floes  and  icebergs, 
illustrating  to  the  voyagers  the  terrible  perils  and  hardships 
through  which  Arctic  explorers  had  passed,  and  amidst 
which  so  many  of  them  had  died. 

"What  wonder/'  said  the  Professor,  as  he  scanned  the 
unnavigable  seas  with  his  glass,  "that  man  has  thus  far 
utterly  failed  in  his  attempts  to  overcome  these  insuperable 
obstacles.  Think  of  the  cold,  hunger,  and  awful  wretched 
ness  these  poor  fellows  have  suffered.  And  Doctor,  see! 
Is  not  that  a  ship  I  see  yonder?  It  is!  It  is!"  cried  the 
Professor  excitedly,  pointing  to  an  object  sailing  in  a  bit 
of  open  sea,  her  nose  pointing  stubbornly  toward  the  North. 

"We  can  hail  them,"  cried  the  Doctor. 

The  upper  and  lower  traps  of  the  air  chamber  were  open 
ed,  and  Silver  Cloud  settled  like  a  great  roc  toward  the 
toiling  little  ship.  They  passed  nearly  directly  over  it, 
and  at  an  altitude  of  but  300  feet. 

"Ship  ahoy!"  shouted  the  Doctor  through  a  speaking 
trumpet. 

"Ahoy!"  came  from  the  vessel. 

"Where  are  you  bound?" 

"North  Pole!" 

"Sail  due  west  twenty  miles  and  you  will  find  an  open  sea 
to  the  North.  All  closed  ahead.  Good  luck  to  you!  Good 
bye!" 

"Aye,  aye,  sir!  Good-bye!"  came  cheerily  from  the  quar 
terdeck  of  the  little  ship,  and  they  had  passed  beyond 
hailing  distance. 

"Poor,  brave  fellows,"  sighed  the  Doctor. 

"They  have  reached  an  amazingly  high  latitude,"  said 
the  Professor.  "They  have  crossed  the  83rd  parallel,  very 
nearly  as  high  as  Nansen  got  with  his  expedition  last  year." 

"I  declare  that  I  am  sorry  for  them,  and  really  dislike 
to  take  the  glory  of  the  discovery  from  them.  But  we  can 
not  stop  now,  and  it  is  utterly  impossible  for  them  to  get 
there  anyway." 

"They  would  have  soon  been  shut  in,  and  probably  for 
ever  as  they  were  heading,"  observed  Will. 

North  and  east,  as  they  could  distinctly  see  from  their 
elevation  of  two  thousand  feet,  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
all  was  one  vast  field  of  huge  piles  of  ice,  exceedingly  rough 


120  DR-  -TONES'  PICNIC. 

and  broken,  with  here  and  there  towering  spires  that  seem 
ed  to  reach  up  toward  the  globe  like  grizzly  arms  that 
would  prevent  them  from  penetrating  the  secrets  of  the 
north  that  had  been  held  for  untold  centuries. 

As  the  Doctor  had  informed  the  captain  of  the  ship,  away 
to  the  west  was  a  certain  amount  of  open  sea,  but  it  was  of 
limited  extent,  and  the  prospects  of  the  poor  fellows  getting 
much  farther  looked  more  than  doubtful. 

"And  what  is  to  become  of  them  if  they  cannot  get 
through?"  asked  Mrs.  Jones. 

"I  cannot  tell,"  returned  the  Doctor,  "but  the  chances 
are  that  they  will  be  crushed  in  the  ice." 

"0  dear,  what  a  fate!"  cried  Mrs.  Jones.  "Can  we  do 
nothing  for  them?" 

"Nothing  at  all,  my  dear.  They  are  beyond  our  reach, 
and  it  is  not  likely  that  they  would  desert  their  ship  if  we 
could  offer  to  take  them  with  us.  Such  men  are  not 
easily  turned  from  their  purpose." 

"All  we  can  do  then  is  to  pray  that  God  will  preserve 
them,  and  permit  them  to  return  safely  home,"  said  the 
sympathetic  little  woman. 

"And  let  us  ask  Him  that  this  favoring  gale  may  con 
tinue  a  few  hours  longer,"  added  Dr.  Jones. 

There  was  no  thought  of  retiring  as  the  usual  hour  for 
doing  so  arrived.  They  all  felt  impressed  with  the  thought 
that  they  were  now  looking  upon  scenes  never  before  seen 
by  mortal  eye,  and  that  they  were  very  near  the  object  of 
their  journey.  How  their  hearts  warmed  and  palpitated 
with  the  thought! 

"We  have  crossed  the  85th  parallel,"  said  the  Professor, 
"and  in  six  or  seven  hours  will  reach  the  Pole  at  this  rate." 

"This  is  the  Lord's  doings,  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our 
eyes,"  quoted  the  Doctor  with  great  fervency. 

Busy  feet  climbed  and  descended  the  spiral  stairway 
many  times  that  night,  but  could  see  nothing  but  a  frozen 
sea  in  every  direction.  The  wind  blew  from  due  south, 
and  they  were  flying  at  tremendous  speed  directly  toward 
the  Pole  as  if  drawn  there  by  a  great  magnet.  The  cold 
was  intense — the  thermometer  registering  more  than  60 
deg.  below  zero.  But  as  we  said  before,  no  wind  was  ever 
felt  aboard  Silver  Cloud,  and  it  has  been  ascertained  that 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  121 

man  can  endure  almost  any  degree  of  cold  if  it  be  quiet 
and  still. 

At  midnight  they  all  sat  down  to  a  good  substantial  sup 
per  that  had  been  prepared  by  Sing.  The  aroma  of  the 
coft'ee  tilled  the  little  dining-room,  and  was  grateful  to  the 
senses.  How  merry  and  happy  they  were!  And  they  ate 
and  drank  with  appetites  that  were  very  complimentary  to 
Sing's  cooking,  and  the  faithful  Mongolian  was  well  pleased 
to  see  the  food  thus  disappearing. 

"There  is  no  place  like  the  Arctics  for  getting  hungry 
and  giving  food  a  relish.  1  declare  that  I  have  not  eaten 
so  since  a  boy,"  exclaimed  Denison. 

"1  really  eat  until  I  am  ashamed  of  myself/1  said  Mattie. 

"''Well,  it  agrees  with  you,  Mattie,"  replied  Denison. 
"Just  look  at  her  plump  cheeks,  and  the  beautiful  roses 
upon  them!" 

"Indeed,  I  never  saw  you  look  so  well  as  you  do  now," 
said  Mrs.  Jones,  looking  at  her  admiringly. 

"And  I  am  glad  that  I  can  return  the  compliment," 
replied  Mattie. 

"J  am  of  the  opinion  that  a  trip  to  the  Arctics  in  Silver 
Cloud  would  cure  any  case  of  dispepsia  in  the  world,"  said 
Dr.  Jones. 

"What  a  wonderful  stimulant  coft'ee  is,"  remarked  the 
Professor,  as  he  sipped  a  cup  of  that  beverage. 

"I  never  realized  that  fact  so  much  as  when  in  the  army," 
replied  Dr.  Jones.  "After  a  long  day's  march  we  would  get 
into  camp  so  tired  that  we  could  scarcely  move.  We  would 
start  our  camp-fires,  and  very  soon  after  you  could  hear  a 
musical  clink,  clink,  clinking  in  every  direction.  It  was 
the  sound  produced  by  the  soldier  boys,  pounding  their 
coffee  fine  in  their  tin  cups  with  the  butt  of  their  bayonets. 
And  the  effect  of  a  pint  of  that  hot  Government  Java  coffee 
was  perfectly  marvelous.  It  would  almost  instantly  take 
the  aching  and  tired  feeling  from  the  muscles,  and  we  could 
have  marched  all  night  if  necessary." 

"1  cannot  realize  that  this  is  midnight,"  said  Mattie,  as 
they  stood  upon  the  balcony,  well  wrapped  in  furs,  looking 
over  the  vast  fields  of  ice  and  snow.  "One  would  hardly 
know  when  to  get  up  or  go  to  bed  in  this  wonderful  coun 
try." 


122  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

The  time  rapidly  passed;  they  reached  the  -86th,  87th, 
88th,  89th  degrees  of  latitude,  and  the  strain  upon  their 
nerves  grew  to  be  tremendous.  The  Doctor  and  Professor 
could  not  rest  anywhere  but  in  the  observatory,  glasses  in 
hand.  Each  was  pale  with  excitement. 

"I  believe  that  to  be  land  ahead/'  said  the  Doctor,  point 
ing  to  a  high  elevation  directly  before  them. 

The  Professor  looked  at  it  earnestly  a  few  moments  and 
replied : 

"It  is,  Doctor,  and  we  have  settled  the  fact  that  the 
North  Pole  is  situated  upon  an  island.  The  open  sea  at 
the  Pole  is  a  myth,  as  I  always  believed  it  to  be." 

The  rest  of  the  party  was  notified  of  the  fact  that  land 
was  near  at  hand,  and  that  very  shortly  the  North  Pole 
would  be  reached.  So  they  all  assembled  upon  the  balcony, 
except  Sing.  That  individual  could  not  be  enthused  upon 
so  small  a  matter  as  the  discovery  of  the  North  Pole;  and 
after  washing  the  supper  dishes  and  cleaning  up  the  kitch 
en  and  dining-room,  retired  as  unconcernedly  as  if  nothing 
unusual  were  at  hand. 

Kapidly  and  unerringly  as  a  dart  flew  the  beautiful  ship 
to  the  place  of  all  places  upon  earth  to  our  exultant  voy 
agers.  Nearer  and  nearer  grew  the  elevation  before  them. 

"We  are  within  less  than  half  an  hour  of  the  Pole/' 
announced  the  Professor  in  a  low  constrained  voice. 

"Glory  be  to  God!"  said  Dr.  Jones  with  great  solemnity. 
"I  never  felt  His  presence  more  than  at  this  moment.  To 
Him  be  all  the  praise." 

"Amen!"  responded  every  one  of  the  little  company. 

They  were  now  passing  over  the  island.  They  could 
see  that  it  was  several  miles  in  diameter,  and  nearly  circu 
lar  in  form.  Almost  exactly  in  the  center  arose  a  conical 
hill  or  mountain,  about  one  thousand  feet  in  altitude. 

"  Upon  the  summit  of  that  mount  I  am  of  the  opinion 
we  will  find  the  North  Pole,"  said  Professor  Gray. 

"  And  we  are  heading  directly  for  it !  "  cried  Dr.  Jones. 
"  Just  a  few  moments  more,  dear  friends,  and  we  shall 
have  reached  our  journey's  end.  Now  get  ready  to  drop 
the  anchor  when  Professor  Gray  gives  the  signal." 

Silver  Cloud  was  lowered  as  they  neared  the  mount. 
They  were  just  over  the  summit  at  but  fifty  feet  from  the 
surface.  The  signal  was  given,  the  anchors  dropped.  At 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  123 

first  they  dragged  upon  the  frozen  snow,  but  soon  the  flukes 
caught  in  the  crevices  of  the  icy  masses,  and  the  great  globe 
was  securely  anchored  at  the  North  Pole! 

They  instantly  prepared  to  descend  in  the  cage.  The 
cold  was  terrible,  so  much  so  that  they  could  not  have  en 
dured  it  at  all  but  for  provisions  that  Dr.  Jones  had  made 
for  this  very  event.  Besides  their  splendid  silk-lined  and 
padded  sealskin  suits,  he  had  brought  a  large  number  of 
Japanese  fireboxes.  The  punks  in  these  were  lighted,  and 
when  all  were  very  hot  they  were  wrapped  in  flannels  and 
distributed  about  their  persons  inside  their  sealskins.  With 
this  arrangement,  Jack  Frost's  chances  of  nipping  their 
persons  were  very  slim  indeed. 

The  thermometer  registered  seventy  degrees  below  zero. 
Having  taken  every  possible  precaution,  the  Doctor  and 
Professor  descended.  Their  feelings  cannot  be  described 
as  they  stepped  upon  the  solidly  frozen  surface,  and  realized 
that  they  were  the  first  human  beings  who  had  thus  stood 
upon  the  summit  of  the  earth!  After  looking  about  a  few- 
moments,  Professor  Gray  said: 

"We  must  settle  the  globe  to  the  earth,  and  from  the 
observatory  I  can  make  observations  that  will  locate  the 
Pole  exactly." 

This  was  accordingly  done.  From  the  observatory  with 
a  sextant  he  made  an  observation  every  six  hours,  making 
allowance  for  the  declination  of  tHe  sun,  meantime.  This 
was  an  exceedingly  delicate  problem,  but  the  Professor  was 
fully  equal  to  it.  At  the  end  of  twenty-four  hours  he  and 
the  Doctor  again  donned  their  furs,  stepped  over  the  rail 
ing  of  the  balcony  and  walked  out  upon  the  snow.  The  rest 
of  the  party  had  amused  themselves  while  awaiting  the 
Professor's  observations  by  setting  up  little  mounds  of  ice, 
upon  what  they  guessed  to  be  the  spot  where  the  learned 
Professor  would  declare  the  geographical  pole  to  be.  His 
.mind,  meantime,  was  too  engrossed  with  the  momentous 
business  in  hand  to  pay  the  least  attention  to  their  frivoli 
ties;  and,  utterly  unmindful  of  the  fur-clad  figures  that 
stood  scattered  about,  each  by  its  respective  ice  mound, 
he  measured  a  certain  number  of  lengths  of  a  sharp  point 
ed  steel  rod  which  he  carried  in  his  hand,  directly  to  Mrs. 
Jones,  and  with  a  side  swipe  of  his  foot  he  swept  aside  her 


124  DR.  JONES*  PICNIC. 

pile  of  ice  lumps,  raised  the  steel  rod  in  both  hands  and 
drove  it  down  with  all  his  force  just  where  the  ice  mound 
had  stood,  and  cried  with  all  his  power  in  a  fur-muffled 
voice,  "The  North  Pole!"  And  Mrs.  Jones  jumped  up 
and  down  as  nimbly  as  her  load  of  furs  and  fireboxes  would 
permit,,  banged  her  great  seakskin  mittens  together,  and 
cried,  "Goody!  Goody!  I  guessed  it!  I  am  the  discoverer 
of  the  North  Pole!  I  always  knew  that  a  woman  would  be 
the  first  one  there!" 


DR;  JONES'  PICNIC.  125 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

The  Planting  of  the  Flagstaff. 

The  whole  of  the  party  now  shouted — Sing  always  ex- 
cepted.  That  individual  was  strictly  attending  to  his  busi 
ness  in  the  kitchen  during  the  excitement.  They  ran — or 
waddled,  for  they  moved  with  difficulty,  loaded  as  they 
were — to  the  spot  where  the  two  men  and  Mrs.  Jones  were 
standing.  They  gathered  in  a  circle  about  the  steel  rod 
that  marked  the  exact  spot  for  which  the  boldest  navigators 
and  explorers  have  longed,  and  striven,  and  died  by  thous 
ands  during  many  decades  of  the  past. 

The  Doctor  broke  out  in  his  sonorous  voice,  the  rest 
immediately  joining  him  in  the  familiar  doxology,  "Old 
Hundred," 

" Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow/' 

When  they  had  finished,  at  a  signal  from  the  Doctor, 
they  all  kneeled  upon  the  icy  pavement,  and  he  offered  up 
a  fervent  prayer  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the  pres 
ervation  of  their  lives,  and  for  the  wonderful  success  that 
had  attended  their  enterprise.  Then  in  unison  they  repeat 
ed  the  Lord's  prayer. 

And  what  could  be  more  appropriate?  The  echoes  first 
awakened  in  this  ultra-frigid  region  by  the  human  voice 
were  praises'  to  God  in  song  and  prayer.  The  ends  of  the 
earth  had  bowed  the  knee  to  the  Father  Almighty,  and  it 
seemed  to  the  little  band  to  be  the  beginning  of  the  good 
time  foretold,  when  the  glory  of  God  shall  cover  the  earth 
as  the  waters  do  the  face  of  the  deep. 

"Now  let  us  see  what  Sing  lias  for  breakfast,  lunch,  or 
whatever  meal  it  may  be.  I  have  been  so  interested  in  our 
work  the  last  few  hours  that  I  have  paid  no  attention  to 
time,"  said  Dr.  Jones. 

A  few  moments  later  they  were  seated  about  their  din 
ing  table,  and  no  happier  company  could  be  found  in 
Christendom  that  day. 


126  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

''Did  anyone  note  the  time  that  we  arrived  here?"  asked 
Will. 

"At  7  o'clock,  45  min.,  20  sec.,  August  6,  19 — ,  we  lo 
cated  the  North  Pole,  and  planted  our  steel  rod  as  marker 
thereof,"  replied  Professor  Gray. 

"What  is  the  next  thing  on  the  program,  Doctor?"  asked 
Denison. 

"We  will  immediately  set  about  planting  our  aluminum 
flagstaff.  We  are  liable  to  a  terrible  storm  at  any  moment, 
and  might  be  driven  away  before  we  had  accomplished  that 
important  ceremony.  It  would  possibly  be  months  before 
we  should  encounter  so  favorable  a  gale  again.  Let  us  not 
rest  until  we  have  finished  all  we  came  to  do,  then  away 
for  home." 

"It  is  all  very  well  to  say  Tlant  the  flagstaff';  but  how 
on  earth  can  we  possibly  set  up  a  300  foot  metal  pole  at 
this  extremity  of  the  earth,  without  derrick,  blocks  and 
tackles,  or  any  machinery  whatever?"  returned  Denison. 

"I'll  show  you  a  Yankee  trick  in  a  short  time/'  cried  Dr. 
Jones. 

They  hurried  through  the  meal  and  prepared  again  to  go 
out  into  the  terribly  cold  atmosphere.  The  fireboxes  were 
again  lighted  and  distributed  about  their  clothing  as  be 
fore.  All  then  went  out  and  assembled  again  about  the  rod. 

"I  must  get  through  this  crust  of  ice  and  see  what  depth 
of  snow  there  is  below,"  said  the  Doctor. 

With  the  sharp-pointed  steel  rod  he  picked  and  worked 
several  minutes,  but  made  very  little  progress  in  the  flinty 
ice. 

"Get  a  hammer,  Denison,"  said  he. 

The  tool  being  procured,  they  hammered  upon  the  upper 
end  of  the  rod,  and  drilled  as  miners  do  in  rock.  After 
some  time  of  this  work  the  Doctor  said: 

"This  will  never  do.  We  have  evidently  a  great  thick 
ness  of  ice  to  go  through,  possibly  more  than  we  can  ever 
penetrate.  We  can  do  no  work  in  these  fur  suits,  and  we 
should  instantly  freeze  if  we  took  them  off.  We  must  set 
tle  the  globe  upon  this  spot,  then  we  shall  be  within  the 
cabin  and  can  throw  off  our  coats  and  go  to  work.  We 
have  a  big  job  on  hand.  Let's  pull  the  ship  over  at  once." 

The  wind  had  subsided  to  a  nearly  dead  calm,  and  it  was 
remarkable  how  all  nature  seemed  to  be  auspicious  to  the 


DR.  JONES    PICNIC.  127 

occasion.  She  had  been  forced  to  yield  up  her  secrets,  fast 
locked  and  frozen  by  the  chill  hand  of  Jack  Frost  so  many 
centuries,  and  now  seemed  disposed  to  surrender  them  with 
a,  good  grace.  The  globe  was  raised  a  few  feet  from  the 
earth.  Two  of  the  anchors  were  carried  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Pole,  and  Will  turned  on  the  spring  windlasses. 
Thus  they  easily  drew  the  ship  to  the  disired  spot,  and  it 
was  slowly  settled  down  so  that  the  ''manhole/'  as  they 
called  the  hole  in  the  floor  through  which  the  cage  operat 
ed,  came  directly  over  the  steel  rod,  the  rod  standing  pre 
cisely  in  the  center  of  the  manhole. 

"Now,  my  hearties,  furs  off!"  cried  the  energetic  little 
Doctor.  He  doffed  his  own  suit  hurriedly,  pulled  on  a 
pair  of  woolen  gloves  in  lieu  of  the  sealskin  ones,  pulled  the 
steel  rod  out  and  laid  it  aside,  grasped  an  axe  and  began 
chopping  into  the  ice  with  all  his  might.  The  ice  chips 
flew  about  the  engine-room  in  a  shower.  He  was  soon 
obliged  to  stop  for  breath.  Will  shoveled  the  loosened  ice 
out,  then  seized  the  axe  and  worked  for  a  short  time  with 
the  same  spirit  that  animated  the  Doctor.  And  so  by 
turns  they  kept  the  axe  and  shovel  flying,  making  very 
rapid  progress.  They  soon  were  too  deep  to  use  long- 
handled  tools,  and  resorted  to  mallet  and  chisel,  and  a 
short-handled  hand  axe.  Slowly  and  more  slowly  pro 
gressed  the  work  as  the  shaft  grew  deeper.  Finally  the 
head  of  the  man  in  the  shaft  disappeared  below  the  surface, 
being  now  nearly  seven  feet  deep. 

"We  shall  have  to  devise  some  plan  for  hoisting  before 
long,"  said  Dr.  Jones. 

"Can't  we  use  the  windlass?"  suggested  Denison. 

"So  we  can!"  cried  the  Doctor.  "The  steel  springs  for 
ever!  Will  never  did  a  better  thing  than  when  he  invented 
the  spring  power  windlass.  We  may  have  to  go  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  feet.  But  we  will  hoist  by  hand  for  awhile 

yet." 

They  had  reached  the  depth  of  between  eight  and  nine 
feet,  when  Will,  who  was  in  the  hole,  shouted,  "Hurrah! 
I've  broken  through !"  and  he  tossed  up  a  handful  of  snow. 

"Good  boy!"  cried  the  Doctor.  "Now  try  with  the  rod 
and  see  if  there  be  another  layer  of  ice  within  reach." 

The  rod,  which  was  six  feet  long,  was  easily  passed  its 
full  length  into  the  underlying  snow. 


1>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"All  right!"  said  Dr.  Jones.  "The  flagstaff  will  settle 
sufficiently  deep  to  hold  it  there  forever.  Fire  up,  Will. 
I  want  to  rise  forty  or  fifty  feet  above  this  hole." 

This  was  accomplished  in  a  very  few  minutes. 

"Now  let  us  get  the  foot  of  the  mast  precisely  over  that 
hole.  I  mean  to  let  it  drop  from  this  height,  and  its 
weight  will  sink  it  25  or  30  feet  into  the  snow.  That,  with 
9  feet  of  ice,  will  hold  it  for  centuries.  We  will  fill  the 
space  in  the  ice  shaft  about  the  foot  of  the  mast  with  the 
ice  chips  that  we  have  taken  out,  ram  them  down  good 
and  solid,  then  pour  water  in.  This  will  instantly  freeze, 
and  all  the  gales  that  ever  howled  can  never  blow  down 
the  finest  flagstaff  that  ever  stood  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth." 

The  plumb-line  was  lowered  and  cables  tautened  here 
and  slackened  there  until  the  butt  of  the  great  mast  stood 
precisely  over  the  shaft.  The  spiral  stair  had  been  so  con 
structed  that  it  nowhere  touched  the  mast.  At  its  en 
trance  into,  and  exit  from  the  globe,  heavy  collars  con 
nected  the  mast  with  the  ship.  These  were  removed,  and 
a  heavy  trap  door,  upon  which  the  foot  of  the  flagstaff 
rested,  was  its  only  support.  A  massive  bolt  alone  held 
the  trap  in  place.  Will  and  the  Professor  were  by  the  ice 
shaft,  watching  the  plumb-line.  At  a  signal,  the  Doctor 
struck  the  bolt  a  heavy  blow  with  a  sledge,  the  trap  fell, 
and  the  beautiful  mast  shot  like  a  flash  of  lightning  down 
through  the  frosty  atmosphere,  entered  the  ice  hole  pre 
cisely  in  the  center,  and  sank  to  the  depth  of  35  feet  into 
the  snow,  which,  added  to  the  9  feet  of  ice,  made  a  footing 
of  44  feet  for  the  towering  flagstaff.  The  globe  was  again 
settled  to  the  foot  of  the  mast,  the  ice  chips  filled  in  and 
rammed  solidly,  the  water  poured  about  it,  and  their  work 
was  completed.  The  ingenuity  displayed  by  the  Doctor 
upon  this  occasion  showed  him  to  be  a  born  leader  of  men, 
and  the  little  band  of  associates  so  acknowledged  to  him 
upon  the  spot.  Dr.  Jones  shut  off  their  effusive  demon 
strations  as  quickly  as  possible.  He  did  not  appear  to  be 
possessed  of  any  degree  of  love  of  praise;  on  the  contrary, 
it  always  embarrassed  and  made  him  uncomfortable. 

"And  now  let  us  eat  again,"  said  Dr.  Jones.  "We  must 
get  away  from  here  before  we  sleep." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  129 

So  they  sat  down  to  a  hearty  dinner,,  all  tired  and  very 
hungry.  But  the  coffee  and  smoking  food  immediately 
reinvigorated  them,  and  they  arose  from  the  table  anxious 
to  complete  their  work  and  be  off  for  home. 

"Shall  we  rest  a  few  hours,  or  go  on  with  our  celebra 
tion,  and  immediately  sail  for  home — or  wherever  the  wind 
may  carry  us?"  asked  Dr.  Jones. 

"0,  let  us  go  on  by  all  means!  plenty  of  time  for  rest 
and  sleep,"  was  the  unanimous  decision. 

"All  right,"  he  replied.  "That  suits  me  perfectly. 
This  good  weather  will  not  last  long.  The  Arctics  are 
subject  to  fearful  and  sudden  storms,  and  we  must  be 
ready  to  go  at  any  instant.  Whatever  we  are  to  do,  let  us 
do  quickly." 

"I  think  we  should  have  a  patriotic  piece  or  two  at  the 
foot  of  the  mast,  and  then  our  North  Pole  March.  I  have 
had  in  my  mind  that  it  would  be  fine  to  raise  the  globe  up 
ten  feet  or  so,  and  beneath  it  we  will  have  our  concert." 

"But  how  can  we  sing  with  our  mouths  all  wrapped  up 
in  furs?  We  shall  instantly  freeze  if  we  expose  our  faces 
to  the  cold.  See,  the  thermometer  now  marks  nearly  70 
degrees  below  zero." 

It  was  Mattie  who  put  this  poser. 

"I  will  tell  you  the  only  thing  we  can  do,"  said  Will. 
"We  have  an  abundance  of  coal  oil.  We  will  set  all  the  pots, 
pans,  and  kettles  aboard  ship  in  a  circle  around  the  mast  at 
a  sufficient  distance  from  it  for  our  purpose.  We  will 
fill  these  dishes  with  coal  oil,  set  fire  to  them,  and  within 
this  charmed  circle  you  may  sing  to  your  hearts'  content." 

"Aye,  aye,  Will!"  cried  Dr.  Jones.     "You've  struck  it!" 

The  globe  was  adjusted,  the  vessels  of  oil  set  in  place, 
the  oil  instantly  congealed,  but  Will  had  taken  the  pre 
caution  to  place  into  each  vessel  several  wicks.  He  lighted 
these  ends,  and  in  a  little  while  the  temperature  in  the 
circle  rose  very  perceptibly.  The  organ  was  then  brought 
down  and  placed  by  the  mast.  They  threw  back  their 
hoodfc  and  sang  America  with  deep  solemnity  and  feeling. 
When  they  had  finished,  Professor  Gray  said: 

"I  now  propose  that  we  have  a  speech  from  Doctor 
Jones.  But  first,  three  cheers  for  the  projector  of  this 
glorious  enterprise  and  discoverer  of  the  North  Pole.  Hip, 
hip,  hurrah !" 


130  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

These  cheers  were  given  with  all  possible  zest  and  en 
thusiasm. 

"Friends  and  fellow  citizens,"  began  the  Doctor,  smiling 
good-naturedly  upon  them,  "I  sincerely  thank  you  for  your 
expressions  of  good  will.  I  did  not  suppose  that  I  was  on 
the  program  for  a  speech.  My  heart  is  too  full  for  utter 
ance  when  I  contemplate  the  fact  that  we  now  actually 
stand,  safe,  sound,  and  comfortable,  at  that  spot  so  long 
sought  by  the  bravest  men  of  all  civilized  lands.  That  the 
world  will  receive  us  with  open  arms,  and  will  heap  honors 
and  riches  upon  us,  I  do  not  for  a  moment  doubt.  But 
all  this  will  do  us  no  good,  on  the  contrary,  much  harm, 
if  we  allow  ourselves  to  become  puffed  up  thereby,  and 
cease  to  give  to  God  all  the  glory  and  honor.  As  for  my 
self,  I  am  only  proud  of  this  achievement  by  so  much  as 
it  shall  prove  a  blessing  to  mankind.  I  believe  that  true 
happiness  is  found  alone  in  working  for  others.  Selfish 
ness  is  the  direct  source  of  all  the  unhappiness  upon  earth, 
and  is  the  chief  or  only  difference  between  a  devil  and  an 
angel.  But  I  see  that  our  fires  are  fast  burning  low,  and 
I  must  hasten. 

"So  by  right  of  discovery,  I  claim  this  island  for  our 
great  republic,  the  United  States  of  America;  and  its  name 
shall  be,  owing  to  its  position  upon  the  top  of  the  earth, 
Summit  Island!" 

This  speech  was  received  with  great  applause.  Fred 
then  struck  up  on  the  organ  the  music  of  the  North  Pole 
March.  The  company  began  to  circle  about  the  mast, 
keeping  step  to  the  inspiring  notes  and  singing  the  four 
parts.  By  the  time  this  music  was  ended  the  fires  were 
nearly  burned  down  and  the  temperature  within  the  circle 
lowered  rapidly.  The  vessels  were  hastily  gathered  up  and 
all  entered  the  cabin. 

As  they  were  about  to  hoist  the  anchors,  Professor  Gray 
said : 

"I  am  not  perfectly  satisfied  as  to  the  location  of  our 
pole  being  exactly  correct.  And,  to  tell  you  the  truth, 
it  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  Pole  is  not  a  fixed,  un 
changeable  spot,  but  really  swings  about  in  a  circle,  varying 
from  six  to  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  just  as  the  upper  end  of 
the  stem  of  a  spinning  top  does  when  it  begins  to  run 
down  or  lose  its  momentum.  Now  T  am  positive  that  our 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  131 

flagstaff  stands  within  this  circle.  But  I  would  like,  by 
another  very  satisfactory  experiment,  to  verify  the  one  wo 
have  already  made.  It  will  require  another  twenty-four 
hours/' 

"By  all  means,  Professor,"  answered  Dr.  Jones,  "do  so. 
Let  us  do  everything  possible  to  establish  the  fact  that  we 
are  scientifically  correct  in  our  location  of  the  Pole.  What 
would  you  have  us  do  now?" 

"I  will  explain  what  I  intend  doing,  and  then  we  will 
understand  and  we  can  work  intelligently  together.  I 
wish  to  photograph  the  stars  directly  above  our  heads.  If 
we  were  here  during  the  winter  season,  when  the  sun  was 
below  the  horizon,  we  could  see  the  stars  distinctly  with  the 
unassisted  eye.  But  from  March  .21st  to  September  21st 
we  cannot  do  that  because  of  continuous  daylight.  Now 
you  are  probably  aware  that  looking  up  from  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  well  or  shaft  in  the  daytime,  the  stars  are  visible, 
even  in  the  sunlight.  And  that  is  what  I  purpose  doing." 

"Well,  and  where  is  your  shaft  that  you  intend  looking 
up  through?"  inquired  Dr.  Jones. 

The  Professor  significantly  laid  his  hand  upon  the  zinc 
tube  which  enveloped  the  flagstaff.  "0  ho!"  cried  the 
Doctor,  "why  did  not  I  think  of  that?" 

We  should  have  explained  before  that  the  spiral  stairs 
ran  up  between  two  zinc  tubes,  the  one  six  feet  in  dia 
meter,  and  the  other  two  feet  in  diameter.  The  latter  sur 
rounded  the  mast,  and  after  the  globe  should  rise  from  the 
flagstaff  this  tube  would  indeed  be  a  shaft  two  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  or  two  hundred  and  ten  feet,  for  it  extended 
to  the  top  of  the  roof  of  the  observatory. 

Accordingly,  the  burners  were  lighted,  the  globe  arose 
until  the  ball  of  the  mast  was  just  below  the  level  of  the 
floor  of  the  engineroom.  Upon  looking  through  the  tube 
after  all  light  had  been  excluded  from  the  engine-room,  a 
bright  star  could  be  seen  shining  down  upon  them  with 
resplendent  brilliancy. 

"Now,  Will,"  cried  Professor  Gray,  "I  wish  you  could 
go  up  and  lower  a  plumb-line  from  the  exact  center  of  the 
fop  of  the  shaft.  I  want  to  see  if  our  tube  stands  perpen 
dicularly.  If.it  does,  and  the  plumb-line  points  straight 
through  the  center  of  it  to  yonder  star,  then  we  are  at  the 
exact  spot  we  seek." 


132  I>R.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

The  line  was  lowered,  and  after  a  little  adjustment  of 
the  cables,  the  lower  end  of  the  plumb-line  passed  through 
the  exact  center  of  the  tube.  The  Professor  ran  his  eye 
up  the  line  and  smiled  with  satisfaction. 

"Look  at  it,  Doctor,"  he  said. 

"Well,  that  is  wonderful!"  cried  Dr.  Jones.  "Look  at 
it  Fred,  Denison.  The  line  runs  precisely  in  alignment 
with  the  star." 

"And  now,"  said  Professor  Gray,  after  all  had  verified 
this  last  statement,  "let's  not  lose  a  moment's  time.  Get 
your  camera  out.  We  want  a  twenty-four  hours'  exposure 
through  our  shaft,  and  photograph  that  star.  If  we  be 
exactly  at  the  Pole,  it  will  describe  a  perfect  circle  upon 
the  sensitive  plate.  If  we  are  not  so  located,  the  line  upon 
the  plate  will  form  an  elipse." 

The  camera  was  set  as  suggested  by  the  Professor,  and 
then  the  party  retired  for  the  night.  We  say  "night,"  but 
the  reader  will  constantly  bear  in  mind  that  this  term  is 
not  used  with  reference  to  daylight  or  darkness,  simply  to 
the  clock,  or  time  of  day. 

There  was  an  absolute,  dead  calm  during  the  following 
twenty-four  hours  after  Will  had  set  the  camera.  Nature 
was  so  extraordinarily  kind  to  Dr.  Jones  during  the  time 
that  we  almost  tremble  for  our  reputation  for  veracity  as 
we  record  the  last-mentioned  fact.  Any  swaying  of  the 
globe  by  the  wind  would  have  effectually  prevented  any 
thing  like  a  good  negative  being  made.  But  the  globe  re 
mained  in  the  exact  position,  the  atmosphere  in  the  hot  air 
chamber  being  kept  up  sufficiently  so  that  a  steady  strain 
was  maintained  upon  the  four  cables.  At  the  end  of  the 
time  mentioned  the  Professor  examined  the  negative  with 
a  magnifying  glass,  and  pronounced  the  test  perfectly  sat 
isfactory. 

The  globe  was  lowered  down  the  mast  for  the  last  time. 
Denison  and  Will  ran  out  and  loosened  the  anchors 
Slowly  the  ship  then  glided  up  the  beautiful  mast.  The 
flag,  which  had  been  wrapped  about  the  small  upper  end 
of  the  staff  to  prevent  injury  being  done  it  while  passing 
through  the  tube,  was  shaken  out  at  the  moment  it  left 
the  floor  of  the  engine-room.  Its  fastenings  to  the  peak 
had  been  made  doubly  secure,  and  it  was  tenderly  manip 
ulated  through  the  final  opening  by  loving  hands.  The 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC.  133 

whole  company  involuntarily  shouted  at  the  inspiring 
sight.  The  ship  was  lowered  as  it  moved  away,  and  the 
patriotic  voyagers  were  treated  to  a  side  view  of  the  most 
beautiful,  thrilling  sight  upon  earth — the  American  flag 
flying  at  the  North  Pole  at  the  peak  of  the  loftiest  flag 
staff  ever  erected!  Well  might  their  hearts  swell  with 
pride  and  their  voices  break  forth  in  songs  of  triumph  and 
praise.  The  Star  Spangled  Banner!  Emblem  of  Liberty! 
How  exquisitely  meet  that  it  should  be  thus  planted  for 
ever  at  the  summit  of  the  earth,  a  terror  to  tyrants,  and  a 
neverfailing  beacon  of  Light  and  Freedom  to  all  people  of 
the  world! 

The  Professor  pointed  out  certain  conformations  of  the 
mountain's  summit,  and  said:  "This  island  is  of  volcanic 
formation,  and  this  mountain  an  extinct  volcano.  Yonder 
flagstaff  stands  upon  the  center  of  a  crater  that  has  been 
filled  with  many  centuries  of  ice  and  snow.  At  some  future 
time  I  hope  to  return  prepared  to  penetrate  this  coat  of 
mail  and  determine,  if  possible,  whether  Summit  Island 
has  ever  been  the  habitat  of  any  form  of  life,  animal  or 
vegetable." 

Professor  Gray  had  made  such  observations  by  the  aid 
of  instruments  as  should  be  of  interest  to  science.  This 
he  did  while  the  others  were  sinking  the  ice  shaft,  and 
during  the  time  of  the  photographing  of  the  star. 

They  were  straining  their  eyes  from  the  observatory  to 
catch  the  last  glimpse  of  "Old  Glory,"  when  a  sudden 
storm  gathered  about  the  island,  and  it  was  shut  out  from 
view.  They  involuntarily  cast  their  eyes  up  to  its  former 
place,  and  they  realized  that  Silver  Cloud  had  been  dis 
mantled  of  her  chief  beauty  and  glory. 

"This  will  never  do,"  exclaimed  Dr.  Jones.  "Silver 
Cloud  is  like  a  bird  of  paradise  with  its  tail  feathers  a-11 
plucked.  We  must  replace  that  pole  and  flag  as  soon  as 
we  return  to  Washington." 

"It  seems  like  a  cruelty  to  leave  them  in  such  a  fearful 
place,"  said  Mrs.  Jones.  "Think  of  the  awful  storms  that 
will  gather  and  howl  around  them  for  ages." 

"They  will  outlast  them  all,  praise  God!"  replied  the 
Doctor.  "As  a  'Government  of  the  people,  for  the  people, 
and  by  the  people  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth/  so  shall 
our  flag  and  staff  defv  all  the  Arctic  storms  that  ever 
blew." 


134  DR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

Then  they  descended  to  the  cabin. 

"1  think  it  is  about  time  to  see  which  way  we  are  head 
ing/'  said  the  Professor.  "We  are  pointing  straight  for 
Alaska,  as  nearly  as  I  can  judge,"  he  said  a  few  moments 
larei. 

All  retired  but  Dr.  Jones.  He  said  that  he  really  pre 
ferred  to  sit  and  rest  awhile  before  going  to  bed.  So  he 
sat  for  several  hours,  looking  occasionally  at  the  barometer, 
thermometer,  etc.  Toward  morning  he  called  Denison  to 
"take  the  helm/'  as  he  jocosely  termed  it. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  135 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Battle  of  Missionary  Kidge  and  Lookout  Mountain. 

Will  had  not  neglected  to  take  numerous  photographs 
of  Summit  Island,  the  flag  and  staff;  and  with  his  kodak 
he  had  stepped  outside  the  circle  and  taken  a  "shot"  at 
them  as  they  circled  about  the  mast,  protected  from  cruel 
Jack  Frost  by  a  wall  of  fire,  as  they  awakened  the  echoes  in 
these  hyperborean  regions  in  the  lively  strains  of  North 
Pole  March. 

He  exhibited  this  photograph  to  them  on  the  following 
day,  and  all  were  delighted  with  it. 

"Oh,  I  wish  you  would  give  me  several  of  these,  Mr. 
Marsh !"  cried  Mattie.  "I  wish  to  give  them  to  my 
friends." 

"You  shall  have  all  you  want  of  them,  Maittie,  upon  just 
one  condition/'  he  answered. 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"Don't  call  me  Mr.  Harsh  again  on  this  trip.  No  for 
malities  shoaild  be  allowed  among  the  Children  of  the 
Skies." 

'•Agreed,  Mist— Will/'  replied  Maittie,  gaily.  "You  may 
put  me  down  for  one  dozen  on  those  terms." 

"Well,  won't  they  be  a  sensation,  when  we  show  them  in 
Washington?"  said  Will,  viewing  the  picture  critically. 
"I  really  think  I  will  make  it  the  subject  of  an  oil  paint 
ing." 

"And  I  want  that  painting  at  any  price,  if  you  will  ever 
sell  it,"  cried  the  Doctor. 

"I  will  paint  one  for  each  of  the  company — except 
Sing.  That  apathetic  heathen  would  not  care  half  so  much 
for  it  as  he  would  for  a  highly  colored  chromo." 

"Don't  be  so  hard  upon  poor  Sing.  I  am  sure  that  he 
would  be  just  delighted  with  one  of  those  paintings,"  said 
Mattie. 

"Call  him  in  and  let's  see.  If  there  is  a  particle  of  the 
aesthetic  about  him,  I  have  failed  thus  far  to  see  it,"  de 
clared  Will. 


136  DR-  JONES*  PICNIC. 

So  Mattie  called  Sing  from  the  kitchen.  He  looked  so 
neat  in  his  white  apron  and  cap  that  Will  began  to  fear 
that  he  had  slandered  the  poor  fellow.  He  was  shown  the 
photograph,  and  Mattie  said: 

"You  sabe  that  picture,  Sing?" 

"Yes,  me  sabe." 

"'What  is  it?" 

Sing  grinned  a  moment  as  he  looked  slyly  around  upon, 
the  company,  and  answered: 

"Allee  samee  makee  foolee  lound  flagpole." 

All  roared  with  laughter. 

"That  is  about  what  we  did,  and  no  mistake,"  said  the 
Doctor,  wiping  his  eyes. 

"Well,  Sing,"  said  Mattie,  looking  her  very  pleasantest 
at  the  wily  Mongolian,  "I  have  called  you  in  to  prove  that 
you  heap  likee  pretty  thngs.  Now,  you  would  likee  a 
pretty  oil  painting,  big  picture,  allee  samee  that?"  point 
ing  to  the  photograph. 

Sing's  face  was  a  picture  of  indifference,  and  he  said, 

"Me  no  care." 

"What!  not  care  for  beautiful  oil  painting?"  cried  Mat- 
tie,  desperately,  seeing  Will's  eyes  twinkling  with  fun  and 
triumph.  "Well,  there  is  something  in  the  world  that  you 
think  pretty,  isn't  there  Sing?" 

"0,  yes!"  promptly  replied  Sing,  his  face  breaking  out 
in  smiles,  "me  tinkee  Miss  Mattie  heap  pletty.  Me  heap 
likee  Miss  Mattie." 

This  open  avowal  of  admiration  was  more  than  Mattie 
had  bargained  for,  and  she  blushed  furiously.  The  whole 
party  clapped  their  hands  and  laughed,  while  Will  fell 
upon  the  floor  and  rolled  about  in  an  ecstacy  of  fun  and 
laughter. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you,  Mattie,  that  he  was  an  incorrigible 
case?"  cried  Will,  as  he  assumed  a  sitting  posture  on  the 
floor. 

"And  do  you  mean  to  say  that  Sing  has  no  taste  at  all, 
simply  because  he  admires  me?"  said  Mattie  very  severely. 

"0,  no!  Mattie.  I  really  admire  Sing's  taste,  and  ac 
knowledge  that  I  have  shamefully  abused  the  poor  fellow," 
said  Will,  rising  to  his  feet.  "But  the  way  he  turned  the 
tables  on  you  and  made  you  blush  is  the  best  fun  I  have 
seen  on  the  trip." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  137 

And  so  they  indulged  in  light  hearted  conversation,  mu 
sic,  reading,  painting,  chess,  etc.,  as  they  sped  over  the 
frozen  seas,  homeward  bound.  Toward  evening  a  strong 
north  wind  set  in  and  the  Professor  declared  that  they 
were  heading  straight  for  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie 
River. 

"In  two  or  three  days  we  shall  be  in  the  United  States 
if  this  gale  continues/'  said  the  Professor.  "We  are  trav 
eling  at  tremendous  speed — nearly  sixty  miles  an  hour." 

"I  only  hope  that  it  continues,  for  I  do  not  doubt  that 
the  friends  have  long  since  given  us  up  as  dead,"  replied 
Dr.  Jones.  "We  have  been  gone  now  nearly  four  months, 
arid  have  had  no  opportunity  to  communicate  with  them 
since  we  left.  What  a  glorious  time  it  will  be  when  we 
get  back  and  tell  them  how  easily  and  comfortably  we 
accomplished  our  object." 

And  so  they  enjoyed  many  an  hour  in  anticipation  of 
their  reception  by  friends  who  were  mourning  them  as 
lost  forever.  And  they  were  assured  of  hearty  expressions 
of  admiration  from  a  generous  public.  And  the  Govern 
ment  would  make  proper  acknowledgments. 

"Doctor,"  said  Fred  in  the  evening  after  dinner,  "I  wish 
you  would  tell  us  about  the  siege  of  Chattanooga,  and 
Battle  of  Missionary  Ridge  and  Lookout  Mountain." 

"All  right,"  returned  the  Doctor.  "If  agreeable  to  all, 
I  don't  mind  spinning  a  war  yarn.  Let  me  see;  I  left  off 
at  our  entrance  into  Chattanooga.  Well,  Bragg's  army 
was  sitting  upon  the  surrounding  hills  and  mountains, 
watching  us  with  eagle  eyes.  They  cut  off  our  lines  of 
communication  and  supplies,  and  we  soon  began  to  feel 
the  pangs  of  hunger.  I  saw  stalwart  men  upon  their 
hands  and  knees  in  the  mud  hunting  for  grains  of  corn 
that  had  rattled  from  the  army  wagons  into  the  road.  I 
saw  horses  in  a  battery  adjoining  my  regiment  gnaw  nearly 
through  great  oak  trees  in  the  torments  of  hunger.  And 
when  they  were  fed  their  miserable  pittance  of  corn,  guards 
were  necessary  to  keep  the  gaunt,  hungry  men  from  steal 
ing  it  from  the  perishing  brutes. 

"Desertions  became  exceedingly  frequent;  so  much  so 
that  nearly  every  roll-call  noted  one  or  more  missing  from 
each  regiment.  What  with  sickness,  deaths,  and  deser 
tions,  our  ranks  were  becoming  rapidly  decimated.  A 


138  I>R-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

c<nmcil  of  war  was  held.  General  Sheridan,  commanding 
at  that  time  the  2nd  division,  4th  army  corps,  volunteered 
to  make  an  example  o>f  two  captured  deserters  in  one  of 
his  regiments.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  a  morning  or 
two  later  the  whole  army  was  notified  to  witness  the  exe 
cution  of  these  deserters.  Such  extremities  had  not  been 
resorted  to  for  simply  running  away  home  (for  they 
had  not  attempted  to  desert  to  the  enemy),  and  we  could 
not  believe  that  they  would  be  shot.  But  we  did  not  know 
Phil  Sheridan. 

"Who  could  have  dreamed  on  that  morning  that  this 
trim  little  man,  who  sat  his  horse  like  a  centaur  as  he 
watched  with  critical  eye  the  carrying  out  of  the  horrible 
details  of  this  double  execution,  was  soon  to  take  rank 
among  the  greatest  generals  in  the  world's  history? 

"At  the  appointed  time  we  gathered  informally  in  a 
great  mass  in  an  open  plain  south  of  the  town.  The 
brigade  to  which  the  doomed  men  belonged  was  formed 
into  the  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square,  two  ranks,  open 
order.  Two  graves  were  dug  in  the  fourth  side  of  the 
square,  and  there  the  execution  was  to  occur.  Soon  were 
heard  the  unearthly  wailings  of  Dead  March  in  Saul,  play 
ed  by  a  brass  band.  Behind  the  band  were  two  coffins  in 
a  hearse,  draped  in  black.  Following  these  walked  the 
condemned  men,  surrounded  by  guards  with  fixed  bay 
onets.  The  firing  party  brought  up  the  rear  of  the  pro 
cession.  They  marched  slowly  around  the  three  sides  of 
the  square  between  the  silent  ranks,  finally  reaching  the 
graves  and  upon  the  edge  of  each  was  set  its  respective 
coffin.  The  two  men  were  marched  up  beside  the  coffins, 
and  who  can  imagine  their  feelings  as  they  thus  looked 
down  into  their  deep,  cold  graves,  where  they  were  to  lie 
a  few  moments  later,  until  the  trump  of  God  should  resur 
rect  their  dishonored  dust  to  stand  before  his  dread  tri 
bunal!  One  would  have  thought  that  under  these  awful 
circumstances  they  surely  would  have  cried  to  God  for 
mercy!  One  of  them  did;  and  kneeling  near  his  coffin  the 
poor  wretch  received  the  last  rites  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
But  the  other  scornfully  refused  the  consolations  of  re 
ligion  in  any  form,  and  cried  out  a  few  moments  later,  as 
he  sat  blindfolded  upon  his  coffin  and  heard  the  ominous 
clicking  of  the  cocking  of  the  muskets  that  he  knew  were 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  139 

aimed  at  him,  'Boys,  take  me  there!'  Accompanying  these 
words  he  tore  open  the  bosom  of  his  shirt,  exposed  his 
bare  breast,  and  a  moment  later  each  fell  upon  his  face  to 
the  ground — a  corpse!  Thus  ended  the  most  tragical  event 
1  ever  witnessed. 

"And  so  the  weary  siege  dragged  on.  We  made  a  night 
descent  upon  the  enemy  in  boats.  They  were  encamped 
upon  the  river  a  few  miles  below  Chattanooga,  where  they 
effectually  cut  off  our  communications  with  Bridgeport. 
We  attacked  them  in  the  blackness  of  a  very  dark  night, 
and  completely  routed  them.  This  opened  up  communi 
cations  with  our  base  of  supplies,  and  our  rations  were 
greatly  increased  from  that  time  on. 

"On  the  morning  of  November  23d,  a  little  before  noon, 
the  3d  division  of  the  4th  Army  corps,  the  one  to  which 
T  belonged,  was  ordered  into  the  open  plain  that  lay  be 
tween  us  and  Missionary  Ridge.  Here  we  deployed  into 
line  of  battle.  Sheridan's  division  followed  and  formed 
on  our  right.  The  eleventh  corps,  commanded  by  General 
0.  0.  Howard,  massed  in  the  rear.  Then  followed  the  3d 
division  of  the  14th  corps,  General  Baird  in  command, 
while  the  1st  division  of  the  same  corps,  under  General 
Johnston,  stood  at  arms  in  the  rear  of  the  center  in  the 
intrenchments. 

"From  their  aerie  upon  the  surrounding  hills  the  Con 
federates  complacently  viewed  the  magnificent  pageant, 
mistaking  it  for  a  grand  review.  So  secure  were  they  in 
their  apparently  impregnable  positions  that  we  carried 
Orchard  Knob  and  captured  nearly  the  whole  picket  line 
before  they  realized  that  we  were  not  dress  parading.  And 
so,  under  the  immediate  eye  of  General  Grant,  who  stood 
upon  I^ort  Wood,  a  very  commanding  position,  from  which 
he  could  see  every  man  of  us,  we  carried  two  miles  of  the 
enemy's  first  line  of  defense.  Probably  a  more  inspiring 
sight  was  never  seen  by  mortal  eye.  Upon  us  were  the 
eyes  of  a  whole  city,  many  of  our  own  comrades,  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  brave  and  vigilant  enemies. 

"So  we  rested  upon  Orchard  Knob  that  night,  having 
taken  thus  the  initiative  in  the  great  battle  of  Missionary 
Kidge  and  Lookout  Mountain.  That  night  was  a  busy  one 
all  along  the  lines  of  both  armies.  Mystic  signs  were 
written  upon  the  skies  all  night  by  the  signal  corps  of  each 


140  DR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

army.  Hooker  upon  the  right  was  preparing  to  assault 
Lookout  Mt.  We  of  the  center  spent  the  night  strength 
ening  our  line  of  breastworks  upon  Orchard  Knob.  Sher 
man,  on  the  left,  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Tennessee  River 
before  morning  in  small  boats  with  two  divisions  of  hia 
army,  the  remaining  two  divisions  crossing  early  in  the 
day  upon  a  hastily  constructed  bridge. 

"And  the  Confederates  were  equally  active.  All  night 
long  their  signal  torches  were  working  upon  the  moun 
tain  and  hilltops.  The  Southern  commander.  General 
Bragg,  evidently  considered  Lookout  Mountain  impregna 
ble,  and  withdrew  many  troops  from  that  point,  concen 
trating  them  upon  his  extreme  right,  in  anticipation  of 
Sherman's  attack. 

'•'Lookout  was  enveloped  in  dense  fog  the  first  part  of  the 
following  day,  which  enabled  Hooker  to  dispose  of  his 
troops  from  that  point  as  he  desired,  preparatory  for  at 
tack,  with  little  or  no  opposition.  At  eleven  o'clock  the 
fog  began  to  lift,  the  attack  commenced,  and  to  us  below 
was  unveiled  one  of  the  grandest,  most  soul-stirring  exhibi 
tion  of  courage  and  love  of  country  ever  witnessed!  Thou 
sands  of  blue-coated  boys  pressed  their  way  up  the  steep 
slopes  of  this  mighty  mountain,  in  spite  of  the  desperate 
resistance  of  a  foe  well  worthy  of  their  steel.  "Well  might 
we  below  raise  a  great  shout  of  exultation  and  sympathy. 
The  guns  of  Wood  and  adjacent  forts  thundered  out  salvos 
of  praise  and  encouragement.  On  they  went,  step  by  step, 
until  far  into  the  night,  and  achieved  that  victory  that 
immortalized  every  man  of  them.  The  following  morning 
we  beheld  'Old  Glory'  proudly  waving  from  the  great  bar 
ren  rock,  Point  Lookout,  and  it  seemed  as  if  we  should 
burst  the  very  skies  with  the  shout  that  went  up  from  thou 
sands  of  loyal  throats. 

"While  Hooker  and  his  boys  were  thus  making  one  of 
the  most  glorious  pages  of  history,  Sherman  had  com 
pleted  preparations  for  an  assault  upon  Bragg's  right  wing. 
Nearly  all  day  on  the  25th,  the  third  day  of  the  battle, 
Sherman  vainly  endeavored  to  turn  the  enemy's  right 
flank.  They  were  strongly  entrenched,  and  hurled  the 
Union  forces  down  the  slopes  of  Missionary  Ridge  time 
after  time,  though  the  assaults  were  made  with  the  utmost 
courage  and  determination.  Grant,  Thomas,  and  Sheri- 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  141 

dan,  from  Orchard  Knob,  watched  these  desperate  efforts 
upon  the  part  of  Sherman.  He  was  sent  all  the  reenforce- 
inents  that  could  operate,  and  Baird's  division  was  return 
ed  because  there  was  not  room  for  them  to  participate. 

"All  day  long  we  of  the  center  of  this  great  battle  line 
had  stood  at  arms,  watching  the  grand  spectacular  move 
ments  of  the  two  wings,  expecting  momentarily  to  be  or 
dered  forward.  The  sun  was  getting  well  down  the  west 
ern  slope  when  we  received  the  signal  from  Fort  Wood  to 
charge  the  lower  line  of  works  at  the  foot  of  Missionary 
Kidge.  This  we  did  easily,  but  the  cross-fire  from  the  sec 
ond  line  midway  up  the  Ridge  was  so  galling  that  the  posi 
tion  was  untenable.  One  of  two  things  must  be  done: 
retreat  or  carry  the  Ridge.  The  first  alternative  I  do  not 
think  occurred  to  anyone,  for  they  leaped  the  breastworks, 
and  in  spite  of  the  enemy's  utmost  endeavors  and  natural 
obstructions,  the  second  line  in  a  few  moments  was  ours. 
But  not  a  moment  did  they  stop,  and  in  an  incredibly  short 
time  the  Ridge  was  carried,  the  captured  artillery  wheeled 
about  and  was  pouring  shot  and  shell  into  the  fleeing  ranks 
of  the  enemy! 

"As  the  visitor  now  stands  and  contemplates  the  accliv 
ities,  and  considers  what  it  meant  to  charge  such  a  foe  so 
well  fortified,  if  he  be  a  Bible  student,  he  will  be  reminded 
of  the  case  of  the  Edomites.  They  were  the  direct  descend 
ants  of  Esau,  and  inhabited  Mount  Seir.  This  mount  is 
an  immense  pile  of  rock  in  the  southern  part  of  Palestine. 
Here  the  Edomites  dug  out  their  homes  in  the  solid  rock, 
and  so  fortified  themselves  that  they  were  the  Gibraltar 
of  ancient  times.  From  these  mountain  fastnesses  they 
made  predatory  incursions  upon  their  neighbors,  and  for 
ages  easily  repelled  all  efforts  at  reprisal.  And  so  they 
came  intolerably  insolent,  and  feared  neither  God  nor  man. 
But  one  day  Jeremiah  prophesied  of  them:  'Thy  terrible- 
ness  hath  deceived  thee,  and  the  pride  of  thine  heart,  0 
thou  that  dwellest  in  the  cleft  of  the  rock,  and  boldest  the 
height  of  the  hill!  Though  thou  shouldst  make  thy  nest 
as  high  as  the  eagle,  I  will  bring  thee  down  from  thence, 
eaith  the  Lord/ 

"He  is  but  an  indifferent  reader  of  history  who  does  not 
see  the  hand  of  Almighty  God  displayed  upon  the  side 
of  Liberty  and  Union  throughout  all  this  tremendous  war. 


142  I>R.  .TONES'  PICNIC. 

Even  so  great  a  man  as  W.  E.  Gladstone,  the  'Grand  Old 
Man'  of  England,  said  that  the  eighteen  millions  of  the 
North  could  not  subdue  the  eleven  millions  of  the  South. 
But  he  did  not  know  that  the  edict  had  gone  forth  from 
the  court  of  Heaven  that  these  who  arrogantly  held  the 
height  of  the  hill  must  come  down  from  thence.  And  so 
we  fought  and  won  this  grandest  battle  of  the  war — and 
perhaps  of  the  world." 

Here  the  Doctor  paused  and  looked  around  upon  his 
audience.  He  had  worked  himself  into  a  fine  glow  as 
these  splendid  reminiscences  passed  before  his  mind.  To 
his  horror  he  found  his  hearers  fast  asleep,  except  the  Pro 
fessor,  and  his  eyes  were  winking  and  blinking  suspiciously. 

"Well,  if  you  are  not  an  interested  lot  of  fellows!"  cried 
Dr.  Jones. 

Fred  roused  at  this  juncture  and  said: 

"Gro  on,  Doctor.  That  is  the  most  thrilling  story  I  ever 
heard." 

"Do  you  really  think  so?"  asked  the  Doctor  very  sar 
castically. 

"0  yes!  Doctor,  I  assure  vou  that  I  heard  every  word 
of  it." 

"And  what  was  I  just  talking  about?" 

"Um — ah — 0  yes,  I  remember.  It  was  where  the  two 
deserters  were  sitting  on  their  coffins  and  were  just  about 
to  be  shot.  I  want  to  hear  that  out,"  and  Fred  looked  the 
picture  of  anxiety  and  interestedness. 

"Dp  you,  though!"  snorted  Dr.  Jones.  "If  I  served 
you  right,  I  would  drop  you  through  the  manhole,  just  to 
wake  you  up." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  143 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Things  Material  and  Spiritual. 

The  wind  continued  all  night  as  last  noted,  and  Silver 
Cloud,  without  a  tremor  or  swaying  motion  of  any  kind, 
was  scurrying  across  the  barren  wastes  of  the  Arctics 
at  marvelous  speed.  At  noon  upon  the  second  day  from 
the  Pole,  Professor  Gray  took  an  observation,  and  an 
nounced  that  they  then  were  at  latitude  68  deg.,  20  min., 
longitude  120  deg.  16  min.,  West  Greenwich. 

"We  are  about  crossing  the  Arctic  circle.  We  are  just 
above  the  barren  grounds  north  of  Great  Bear  Lake,"  said 
the  Professor.  "Shortly  after  breakfast  to-morrow  morn 
ing  we  will  cross  the  northern  boundary  of  the  United 
States  at  our  present  speed/5 

"What  great  body  of  water  is  that  I  see  ahead?"  asked 
Denison  a  little  later. 

"That  is  Great  Bear  Lake,"  replied  Professor  Gray. 
"See  how  the  vegetation  begins  to  show  up." 

The  weather  was  superb,  and  the  lake  lay  calm  and 
smooth  beneath  them  as  a  mirror.  While  they  were  tear 
ing  through  the  skies  at  express  train  speed,  their  elevation 
being  a  little  over  3,000  feet,  they  could  plainly  see  through 
their  glasses  that  small  birch  trees  and  evergreens  upon  the 
banks  were  nearly  motionless. 

"Now  you  see  an  illustration  of  my  theory,"  cried  the 
delighted  Doctor.  "Here  are  we  in  a  gale;  below,  scarcely 
a  breath  of  air  is  stirring.  It  did  not  work  in  Russia,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  anchor.  But  I  shall  regard  that  as  a 
providential  affair  and  shall  stick  to  my  theory.  I  would 
not  for  anything  have  failed  to  plant  the  good  seed  which 
we  left  there.  Great  good  will  come  of  it,  and  it  may  be 
the  commencement  of  a  general  recognition  throughout  all 
Europe  of  God's  great  law  of  cure.  If  so,  I  shall  count 
that  as  of  infinitely  greater  importance  than  the  location 
of  the  North  Pole." 


144  »*    JONES'  PICNIC. 

The  wind  veered  to  the  northwest  toward  evening,  and 
a  consultation  of  the  map  showed  that  they  were  heading 
precisely  as  they  wished  to.  On  the  following  morning, 
they  crossed  what  the  Professor  informed  them  was  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods. 

"Before  noon  we  shall  be  well  into  Northern  Minne 
sota.  We  are  peculiarly  favored  upon  this  trip.  It  is 
very  doubtful  whether  we  would  encounter  so  many  favor 
able  gales  in  any  number  of  future  trips/' 

"We  are  not  home  yet,  Professor,  and  we  may  have  an 
opportunity  to  test  the  Doctor's  theory  as  to  air  currents," 
said  Will. 

Soon  after  breakfast  a  further  change  in  the  wind  oc 
curred,  and  they  found  themselves  going  due  east.  They 
watched  through  their  glasses  the  foliage  below,  but  could 
eee  no  difference  in  the  direction  of  the  lower  atmospheric 
stratum. 

"We  will  go  as  we  look  for  a  time,"  said  the  Doctor. 

"What  do  I  see  yonder!"  cried  Denison.  "  A  train  of 
passenger  cars,  sure  as  you  live!  That  must  be  the  Ca 
nadian  Pacific." 

"It  is,"  replied  Professor  Gray.  "And  away  to  the 
south,  you  see  Lake  Superior.  We  are  passing  along  its 
northern  coast." 

"Don't  those  little  settlements  look  beautiful!"  said  Mrs. 
Jones.  "See  the  little  white  church  yonder  with  its  tiny 
spire!  It  just  seems  to  me  as  if  I  should  like  to  stop  and 
attend  service  in  that  pretty  little  church." 

"See  the  people  rushing  out  to  look  at  us!"  observed  Dr. 
Jones.  "Suppose  we  lower  to  within  a  few  hundred  feet 
of  them,  and  give  them  a  good  sight  at  the  ship." 

Accordingly  Silver  Cloud  settled  rapidly  as  it  neared  the 
little  town.  They  crossed  the  village  at  a  height  of  about 
500  feet.  They  could  see  that  the  people  were  terribly 
frightened.  Some  were  lying  upon  the  ground  as  if  dead; 
others  were  upon  their  knees  with  their  hands  stretched 
toward  the  globe  that  glistened  like  a  star  in  the  sunlight. 
Many  were  rushing  screaming  into  their  houses.  A  few 
could  be  seen  fleeing  from  town,  afoot  or  horseback,  at  the 
top  of  their  speed. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIG.  145 

"Don't  be  alarmed,  good  people,"  shouted  Dr.  Jones. 
"W«j  are  only  aeronauts  who  have  been  to  the  North  Pole. 
Good-bye  !v 

"I  won't  do  that  again/'  said  he.  "Some  of  those  people 
may  die  from  the  effects  of  this  fright.  But  here  we  are 
again  for  home/' 

Silver  Cloud  had  again  mounted  skyward  and  encoun 
tered  a  splendid  breeze  from  the  north.  A  few  moments 
later  the  blue,  crystal  waters  of  Lake  Superior  were  un 
dulating  beneath  them. 

"Just  see  the  shipping!"  ejaculated  Denison.  "I  sailed 
to  the  upper  end  of  this  great  lake  to  Duluth,  twenty-five 
years  ago.  Then  but  few  steamers  came  up  so  far,  and  not 
many  sailing  vessels  except  those  in  the  iron  and  copper 
trade.  Now  see  them  in  every  direction!  I  am  aston 
ished  at  the  amount  of  traffic  on  these  lakes." 

Only  those  who  have  been  away  from  their  native  land, 
and  especially  if  their  travels  have  extended  over  the  bar 
ren  wastes  of  the  extreme  north,  can  fully  appreciate  the 
immortal  Scott: 

"Breathes  there  a  man  with  soul  so  dead 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said; 
'This  is  my  own,  my  native  land!'5' 

They  traveled  so  rapidly  over  Upper  Michigan  that  by 
evening  they  were  across  the  strait  of  Mackinaw.  Then  the 
wind  lulled  to  a  ten-mile  breeze  and  veered  a  point  or  two 
easterly.  The  great  pine  forests  below  were  a  cheerful 
contrast  to  the  illimitable  fields  of  ice  and  snow  and  uncul- 
tivable  lands  which  they  had  so  lately  traversed.  The 
farms  and  villages  grew  thicker  every  hour  and  their 
twinkling  lights  were  pleasant  sights  to  the  voyagers  as  the 
night  came  on. 

After  dinner,  all  being  tired  from  a  long  day  of  sight 
seeing,  they  gathered  in  the  little  smoking-room  for  their 
usual  evening  chat.  For  some  reason,  this  time  the  con 
versation  took  a  turn  not  unusual  among  creatures  who 
have  to  do  with  two  worlds,  the  spiritual  and  material. 

"I  would  like  to  ask  you,  Dr.  Jones,"  said  the  Professor, 
"if  you  ever  encountered,  or  had  any  experience  with  what 
you  were  positive  was  supernatural?" 


146  DR.  -TONES'  PICNIC. 

"I  have,"  answered  the  Doctor. 

"Well,  Doctor,  I  confess  that  I  never  saw  or  heard  any 
thing  in  my  life  that  could  not  be  explained  upon  natural 
principles.  It  is  not  that  I  am  especially  skeptical,  but  my 
life  has  been  spent  in  the  study  of  things  material,  and  the 
laws  that  govern  them.  So  it  may  be  that  I  have  not  been 
in  a  state  of  mind  to  apprehend  spiritual  phenomena,  as  I 
might  otherwise  have  done.  However  that  may  be,  I  am 
very  desirous  of  hearing  a  relation  of  your  experiences  on 
that  line." 

"There  is  nothing,  Professor  Gray/'  replied  Dr.  Jones, 
"that  I  am  more  positive  of  than  that  we  are  constantly 
surrounded  by,  and  in  actual  contact  with,  spiritual  forces. 
And  further,  that  if  we  were  but  in  a  receptive  condition, 
or  were  in  the  attitude  toward  God  that  we  should  be,  we 
might,  like  Elisha's  servant,  see  the  hosts  of  the  Lord 
camping  upon  the  hills  round  about  us.  But  my  individ 
ual  belief  would  be  of  no  value  if  not  based  upon  experi 
ence. 

"The  first  thing  I  ever  saw  that  I  recognized  as  purely 
spiritual  in  its  character  was  at  the  deathbed  of  a  four  year 
old  boy.  I  was  myself  at  this  time  but  twelve  years  old, 
but  I  received  an  impression  that  I  can  never  forget.  I 
was  standing  at  the  foot  of  his  little  bed,  his  father  and 
mother  and  three  or  four  brothers  and  sisters  were  ranged 
along  the  sides  and  by  his  head.  He  was  gasping  in  the 
last  struggle  with  the  grim  monster,  when  he  suddenly 
threw  his  hands  toward  the  ceiling  and  cried  out  in  a  clear, 
strong  voice,  '0  papa!  see  there P  His  little  face  that  had 
been  so  distorted  with  suffering  lightened  up  with  the 
glory  of  the  better  world.  His  arms  gradually  sank  to  his 
side,  and  he  was  dead.  But  that  heavenly  smile  remained 
upon  his  face  long  after  death.  One  may  explain  away 
this  glory-burst  through  the  eyes  of  a  dying  child,  calling 
it  hallucination  of  a  fevered  or  diseased  brain  if  they  will, 
but  to  me  it  was  a  revelation  of  spirit  land. 

"A  few  years  ago  I  was  permitted  again  to  get  a  glimpse 
of  the  pearly  gates,  and  this  time  it  was  the  hand  of  a  sweet 
little  girl  who  lifted  aside  the  veil  for  her  sorrowing  friends 
and  myself.  She  was  in  the  last  extremity  with  diphther 
itic  croup.  Her  face  was  bloated  and  blue-black  with  suf 
focation.  Her  eyes  were  nearly  bursting  from  their  sock- 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC.  147 

ets,  glassy  and  staring;  and  her  face,  always  so  sweet  and 
beautiful,  was  now  distorted  so  that  her  mother  could  not 
endure  the  sight,  and  cried  in  her  agony,  'My  God!  is  this 
my  little  Bertha?  I  cannot  believe  it!'  Bertha,  in  her  ex 
piring  effort  for  breath,  had  raised  upon  her  knees  in  bed, 
when  suddenly,  as  in  the  other  case,  she  raised  her  hands, 
her  face  illumined  with  the  'light  that  is  not  seen  upon  sea 
or  land/  and  she  said  in  a  strong,  clear  whisper — for  her 
vocal  cords  were  so  involved  in  the  diphtheritic  membranes 
that  her  voice  was  gone  completely — '0  mamma!  I  see 
Jesus!'  The  ecstasy  lasted  a  moment  or  so,  and  then  I 
laid  her  back  upon  the  pillow — dead!  Here  again  is  an 
opportunity  for  the  agnostic  to  cavil  and  reject  such  evi 
dence.  But  of  one  thing  you  may  be  sure:  If  he  derives  as 
much  pleasure  from  his  unbelief  as  I  do  in  believing,  then 
he  is  a  very  happy  man. 

"And  now  I  will  relate  what  to  me  was  still  more  start 
ling  and  wonderful  on  the  line  of  spiritual  evidence  or  ex 
perience.  I  practiced  medicine  a  few  years  in  the  Sierra 
Mountains,  California.  I  was  called  one  afternoon  to  see 
a  patient  in  a  mining  camp  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
away.  I  rode  a  faithful,  sure-footed  little  mare,  and  chose 
a  short  cut  over  a  dangerous  mountain  trail.  I  had  a  deep 
canon  to  cross,  and  was  coming  down  into  it  on  my  return, 
when  night  set  in.  It  became  so  dark  that  I  could  not  see 
the  trail,  but  fully  trusted  my  little  mare.  I  dropped  the 
reins  upon  her  neck  and  let  her  choose  her  own  way  and 
gait.  We  were  on  the  most  dangerous  part  of  the  trail, 
where  it  was  not  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  wide, 
and  upon  my  left  hand  was  a  black  chasm,  some  fifty  or 
seventy-five  feet  deep.  I  was  singing  a  hymn  as  uncon 
cernedly  as  I  ever  did  in  my  life,  when  suddenly  something 
<aid  to  me,  'Get  off  that  horse!7  I  did  not  stop  to  reason  or 
ask  questions,  but  promptly  threw  myself  off  on  the  right 
<ide  and  stood  a  moment  by  the  animal,  not  knowing  what 
the  meaning  could  be.  It  was  not  an  audible  voice  that 
had  spoken  to  me,  yet  it  was  none  the  less  distinct  and  un 
mistakable.  I  stood  two  or  three  minutes  thus,  waiting 
for  further  developments.  Then  I  stepped  down  in  front 
of  Mollie — as  I  called  the  mare — into  the  trail,  and  started 
to  lead  her.  1  did  not  dare  to  get  into  the  saddle  again, 
though  I  could  not  imagine  what  was  coming  next.  1  had 


148  BR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

not  proceeded  ten  feet,  when  I  came  to  an  exceedingly 
steep  pitch  in  the  trail.  I  had  gone  down  this  pitch  but 
a  few  feet  when  something  held  me  and  I  could  go  no 
farther.  I  nearly  fell  over  the  obstruction  which  I  felt 
holding  my  legs.  I  reached  down  and  found  a  heavy  wire 
drawn  very  tightly  across  the  trail,  just  above  my  knees. 
You  will  never  know  the  feelings  I  experienced  at  that 
moment.  I  saw  in  an  instant  that  my  Heavenly  Father 
had  interposed  and  saved  me  from  a  violent  death/5 

"What  was  that  wire,  and  how  came  it  there?"  asked 
Fred. 

"It  was  a  telegraph  wire.  The  pole  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  canon  had  been  washed  from  its  footing,  and  was 
hanging  by  its  full  weight  from  the  wire,  thus  drawing  it 
very  taut  across  the  trail." 

"Could  not  this  warning  which  you  received  be  account 
ed  for  from  a  psychological  standpoint?"  asked  Professor 
Gray. 

"I  will  answer  your  question  by  asking  another:  If  we 
reject  the  spiritual  side  of  man's  nature,  then  we  have 
nothing  left  of  him  but  the  material.  Now  I  ask  you  as  a 
physicist,  what  is  there  in  the  laws  governing  matter  that 
could  in  any  degree  account  for  the  phenomenon  that  I 
have  just  related?" 

"Nothing,"  answered  the  Professor. 

"That  is  right,  Professor.  And  I  prefer  to  recognize  the 
hand  of  God  in  this,  and  to  believe  that  He  exercises  a  spe 
cial  care  over  his  children;  that  not  a  hair  falls  from  the 
head  of  one  of  his  believing  children  without  the  Father's 
notice.  It  is  so  much  better  to  simply  trust  and  believe. 
Nothing  is  so  detestable  as  the  spirit  of  skepticism  abroad 
in  the  land  to-day.  The  ministry  itself  is  more  or  less 
permeated  and  honeycombed  with  the  abominations  called 
'Higher  Criticism/  'Evolution/  etc.  They  would  have  us 
believe  that  the  Bible  is  filled  with  interpolations,  and  that 
wicked  men  and  devils,  careless  translators  or  copyists 
have  been  allowed  to  destroy  to  a  very  great  extent  the 
validity  of  that  book.  Now  I  simply  take  this  stand:  God 
has  created  you  and  me,  and  has  endowed  us  each  with  an 
immortal  principle  which  we  call  soul.  He  has  placed  us 
in  this  probationary  state  and  has  set  before  us  two  ways: 
The  straight  and  narrow  way  that  leads  to  Eternal  Life, 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  149 

and  the  broad  way  that  leads  to  Eternal  Death.  In  order 
that  we  may  know  His  will  and  so  be  able  to  fulfill  the  con 
ditions  of  salvation,  He  has  given  us  the  Holy  Bible.  He 
is  responsible  for  the  validity  of  that  book,  and  we  may 
defy  all  the  smart  Alecks  and  devils  in  the  universe  to  in 
validate  a  single  essential  word  of  it.  The  gist  of  the 
whole  matter  reduces  to  a  simple  syllogism. 

''The  major  proposition  is:  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved. 

"The  minor  proposition:  I  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

"The  conclusion:  Therefore  I  am  saved. 

"This  is  my  faith,  and  He  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I 
have  committed  unto  Him,  Bible  and  all,  till  that  day.  I 
have  given  you  several  experiences  that  are  not  to  be  light 
ly  explained  away,  nor  scoffed  aside  by  skepticism.  I  could 
relate  you  another  still  more  wonderful  experience,  one  on 
a  par  with  Saul's  conversion  as  he  went  to  Damascus  to  kill 
the  saints.  I  refer  to  my  own  conversion.  But  I  think 
that  you  have  had  enough  for  once." 

"Let  me  ask  one  question  further,  Doctor,"  said  the  Pro 
fessor.  "As  we  have  disposed  of  the  psychological  hy 
pothesis  in  explanation  of  the  source  of  the  impression  that 
you  received  upon  the  trail,  and  which  without  doubt  saved 
your  life,  we  must  accept  the  spiritual.  I  wish  to  ask,  then, 
if  it  might  not  have  been  the  spirit  of  a  departed  friend 
who  thus  warned  you?" 

"No,  sir!"  replied  the  Doctor  with  great  emphasis.  "De 
parted  spirits  have  no  such  functions.  On  the  other  hand, 
we  are  told  that  'He  giveth  His  angels  charge  concerning 
thee  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways.  They  shall  bear  thee 
up  in  their  hands  lest  at  any  time  thou  dash  thy  foot 
against  a  stone.'  And  again:  The  angel  of  the  Lord  en- 
campeth  round  about  them  that  fear  Him,  and  delivereth 
them.  Also:  Are  they  not  ministering  spirits  sent  forth 
to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation?  It 
means  infinitely  much  to  be  the  child  of  a  King.  Angels 
to  bear  us  up  in  their  hands  and  to  minister  unto  us  if  we 
will  but  comply  with  the  terms.  So  there  is  no  need  of 
spooks,  wraiths,  and  ghosts  of  departed  men  in  our  lives. 
God  gives  us  all  the  light  necessary.  He  lighteth  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world." 


150  DR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

"Well,  Doctor,  there  is  still  another  difficulty  that  I 
think  you  have  not  met  or  settled.  I  have  acquaintances 
that  I  know  are  sincere  in  their  belief  that  they  receive 
communications  from  departed  friends.  They  are  people 
who  do  not  accept  the  Christian  faith,  and  you  have  estab 
lished  the  fact,  from  a  biblical  standpoint,  that  He  giveth 
his  angels  charge  over  those  who  are  Christians,  or  heirs  of 
salvation.  If,  then,  the  spiritualist  receives  communica 
tions  from  the  spirit  world,  and  they  come  neither  through 
angels  nor  departed  friends,  from  whom  do  they  come?" 

"The  Devil!" 

"What!" 

"The  Devil,  or  one  of  his  legions  of  imps." 

"Excuse  me,  Doctor,  but  how  is  one  to  know  whether  his 
communications  be  from  a  good  or  evil  spirit?  How,  for 
instance,  do  you  know  whether  your  communication  which 
warned  you  of  the  wire  across  the  trail  was  from  an  angel 
or  devil?" 

"That  question  is  not  worthy  of  you,  Professor  Gray. 
In  all  the  history  of  this  poor,  sin-cursed  world,  the  Devil 
never  did  one  kind  act  to  a  human  being.  He  never  wiped 
away  a  tear  of  sorrow,  or  mitigated  a  heartache  or  pain,  nor 
ever  will.  Jesus  settled  that  matter  when  the  Jews  accused 
Him  of  casting  out  devils  through  the  prince  of  devils, 
Beelzebub.  If  Satan  be  divided  aainst  Satan,  his  king 
dom  cannot  stand.  When  Satan  warns  one  servant  of  God 
of  danger,  and  saves  him  from  death  his  kingdom  will  fall. 
But  say,  let's  to  bed.  We  must  be  out  by  daylight  in  the 
morning." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Familiar  Scenes  and  Faces. 

Silver  Cloud  was  wafted  by  a  gentle  breeze  to  the  center 
of  Lower  Michigan.  For  two  or  three  hours  after  sunrise 
there  was  nearly  a  dead  calm.  Then  a  brisk  breeze  from 
due  east  arose,  and  they  started  for  Lake  Michigan  at  a 
great  speed. 

''This  will  never  do/'said  Dr.  Jones.  "We  will  go  down 
and  get  fresh  supplies  and  the  morning  papers.  There  lies 
a  good-looking  town  a  few  miles  west.  We  will  anchor 
there.  Stand  by  the  anchor,  boys/' 

In  a  few  moments  Silver  Cloud,  with  her  characteristic 
swiftness,  descended  upon  the  town,  and  soon  was  safely 
anchored  to  several  large  trees  in  the  center  of  it.  It 

proved  to  be  the  thrifty  little  town  of  L r,  of  between 

three  and  four  thousand  inhabitants.  Silver  Cloud  was 
drawn  to  within  fifty  or  sixty  feet  of  the  earth,  and  the  voy 
agers  rapidly  descended  in  the  cage  to  the  main  street. 

That  all  the  men,  women,  and  children  crowded  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  globe,  and  that  our  friends  were  the  cyno 
sure  of  thousands  of  wondering  eyes  will  be  readily  be 
lieved.  And  the  glistening  sphere  that  gently  oscillated 
in  the  breeze  above  the  city  excited  the  unbounded  aston 
ishment  and  praise  of  all.  Newspaper  reporters  gathered 
eagerly  about  the  party,  and  plied  them  with  questions 
concerning  their  trip  and  adventures.  All,  of  course,  were 
acquainted  with  the  facts  concerning  their  sailing  from 
Washington  four  months  previously,  and  a  few  of  them 
had  witnessed  that  notable  event.  The  travelers  were  in 
formed  that  they  had  been  mourned  as  lost  for  many  weeks 
past,  and  Government  was  fitting  out  a  party  to  seek  them 
as  soon  as  possible.  The  general  opinion  was,  that  the 
globe  had  collapsed  or  exploded,  and  that  the  foolhardy 
explorers  had  all  perished  in  the  forests  of  Upper  Canada. 
This  was  the  accepted  theory,  and  nothing  could  exceed 


152  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

the  severity  with  which  the  editors  of  the  papers  politically 
opposed  to  the  administration  censured  it  for  the  extrava 
gance  and  all-round  idiocy  of  the  whole  "Aluminum  Bub 
ble  Scheme/'  as  they  termed  it.  Dr.  Jones  was  voted  a 
lunatic,  and  the  balance  of  the  party  was  commiserated  in 
the  "Ahs!"  and  "Dear  me's!"  and  "Poor  things!"  of  the 
whole  nation. 

And  we  can  well  imagine  that  the  telegraph  wires  were 
kept  busy  that  day  all  o*ver  the  land.  And  the  papers 
which  in  their  previous  issues  had  inveighed  so  cuttingly 
and  mercilessly  against  the  Government  and  Dr.  Jones, 
and  everj'body  in  any  way  connected  with  the  Aluminum 
Globe  Bubble,  now  came  out  in  flaming  double  headings, 
under  telegraphic  dispatches  and  in  editorials,  sounding 
the  praises  of  Dr.  Jones  and  company  in  unbounded  terms 
of  commendation.  They  had  always  predicted  their  speedy 
and  triumphant  return,  so  they  had,  etc. 

Telegrams  and  phonograms  poured  in  upon  them  until 
they  were  really  unable  to  attend  to  them.  Very  numerous 
were  the  offers  of  engagements  to  Dr.  Jones  and  Professor 
Gray  for  a  course  of  lectures  at  liberal  prices. 

"I  was  satisfied,  Professor,  that  we  should  stir  them  up," 
said  Dr.  Jones,  perspiring  and  glowing  with  the  excitement 
and  hurry,  "but  I  did  not  look  for  this  avalanche.  I  would 
rather  be  off  into  our  native  element,  the  deep  blue  sky, 
than  to  be  smothered  in  this  fashion." 

"Keep  cool,  Doctor/'  replied  Professor  Gray.  "You 
may  as  well  get  used  to  being  lionized,  for  you  will  get  no 
end  of  it  at  Washington." 

"All  right,  Professor.  I'll  do  the  best  I  can,  but  I  really 
do  not  enjoy  so  much  of  it.  Suppose  we  give  the  people  a 
reception  at  the  Opera  House." 

"0  good!"  cried  Mattie.  "And  let's  give  them  a  concert. 
We  can  render  them  an  hour  of  music  that  I  am  sure  will 
please  them  very  much." 

"Good  girl!"  shouted  Fred,  who  was  always  in  for  any 
thing  in  the  line  of  music  and  innocent  pleasure. 

All  instantly  agreed,  and  the  town  and  neighboring 
places  were  informed  of  the  fact  of  the  intended  reception 
that  night.  All  necessary  preparations  were  made,  and  it 
is  needless  to  say  that  the  building  was  packed  to  its  utmost 
limits  long  before  the  appointed  hour. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  153 

At  eight  o'clock  the  curtain  raised,  and  our  friends 
marched  upon  the  stage  and  sang  in  their  best  form  an  an 
them  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God.  All  were  in  the 
pink  of  health,  free  from  all  carking  cares  and  vanities  of 
life,  and  they  sang  as  if  inspired.  Such  singing  had  never 
been  heard  by  the  audience;  and  this  fact,  added  to  the  ro 
mance  connected  with  the  occasion,  carried  the  thousands 
of  listeners  completely  off  their  feet.  The  encore  that 
went  up  at  the  conclusion  of  the  piece  was  tremendous  be 
yond  description.  Nor  would  the  excited  audience  cease 
an  instant  until  our  friends  had  rendered  another  song. 
Then  Dr.  Jones  stepped  forward,  and  raising  his  hand  to 
invoke  silence,  said: 

"Your  mayor  will  now  address  a  few  words  to  you/' 

The  mayor,  a  typical  aldermanic  looking  person,  ad 
vanced  to  the  front  of  the  stage  and  began  a  set  speech  af 
ter  the  stereotyped  fashion.  He  was  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  idea  that  the  navigators  of  the  great  aluminum 
ship  had  premeditatedly  visited  their  important  city  before 
going  on  to  Washington,  and  it  was  no  matter  of  surprise 
to  him  that  they  had  done  so.  He  thanked  them,  however, 
etc.  He  was  discussing  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
and  was  evidently  wound  up  for  an  hour,  and  the  audience 
was  beginning  to  move  restlessly.  A  low  murmur  of  dis 
approbation  ran  through  the  house  as  the  untimely,  unin 
teresting  speech  dragged  its  weary  length,  when  a  gallery 
god  cried  out:  "Did  you  bring  that  thing  from  the  North 
Pole,  Dr.  Jones?  Trot  it  off  and  give  us  some  more  music." 
The  audience  received  this  shot  with  shouts  of  laughter 
and  approval,  and  they  did  not  stop  until  the  crestfallen 
mayor  backed  off  the  stage. 

An  hour  was  then  spent  in  solos,  duets,  quartettes,  chor 
uses,  etc.  Then  Dr.  Jones  made  a  speech  of  a  few  mo 
ments'  length,  in  which  he  gave  an  account  of  the  leading 
incidents  of  their  wonderful  trip.  He  especially  dwelt  up 
on  the  planting  of  the  aluminum  flagstaff  at  the  North 
Pole,  and  when  he  assured  them  that  the  flag  of  our  Union, 
as  they  sat  in  that  comfortable  opera-house,  was  flying  at 
the  peak  of  that  superlatively  splendid  shaft  at  the  very 
apex  of  the  earth,  the  emotions  of  the  assemblage  could  not 
be  restrained,  and  they  broke  forth  in  thunders  of  applause. 

Their   return  to  the  ship  was  a  triumphal   procession. 


154  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

The  streets  were  packed   with   people   who  waited  to  see 
them  ascend  to  their  cabin. 

Early  the  following  morning  the  wind  had  shifted  to 
the  northwest,  and  the  anchors  were  hoisted  immediately. 
How  beautiful  the  little  town  and  surrounding  country  ap 
peared  to  the  aeronauts  in  the  early  morning  light  from 
their  one  thousand  feet  elevation. 

"I  had  no  conception  of  the  beauty  of  this  world  until  I 
saw  it  from  the  balcony  of  the  Silver  Cloud,"  observed 
Professor  Gray. 

"There  is  but  one  trouble  in  this  beautiful  world,  and 
that  is  with  its  inhabitants/'  replied  Dr.  Jones.  "We 
should  have  the  restoration  of  Eden  immediately  if  all  men 
would  but  serve  God  and  observe  the  Golden  Eule.  Xot 
another  tear  or  sigh  would  ever  be  seen  or  heard  again  up 
on  earth.  But  0  the  pity  of  it!  Man,  willfully  blind, 
goes  stumbling  on  through  the  short  span  of  life,  blighted 
and  blighting  everything  about  him  with  unbelief.  Full 
of  misery  and  heartaches  here,  he  goes  into  Eternity  to 
stand  at  the  bar  of  God,  naked  and  undone,  and  hears  the 
fearful  sentence,  'Anathema  Maranatha!'  or  'Cursed  and 
banished  from  God!'  And  all  this  in  the  lovely  world  that 
lies  spread  out  before  us  this  morning  like  the  primitive 
Garden  of  the  Lord,  fresh  as  it  came  from  His  bountiful 
hand.  It  fills  my  soul  with  sadness  when  I  think  of  our 
infinite  foolishness.  I  do  not  wonder  that  Jesus  wept  over 
Jerusalem." 

The  whole  company  were  assembled  upon  the  balcony, 
and  drew  in  long  inspirations  of  the  balmy  morning  air. 

"What  a  panorama!"  cried  Mrs.  Jones.  "I  am  forever 
spoilt  for  living  a  terrestrial  life  again.  We  are  Children 
of  the  Skies,  and  those  low  vales  are  well  enough  for  those 
who  are  contented  therewith.  But  this  is  our  native  ele 
ment!"  and  she  spread  her  hands  toward  the  upper  blue. 
"Why,  if  I  were  to  be  confined  to  that  humdrum  existence 
again,  I  should  be  like — like — " 

" — a  fish  out  of  water,"  suggested  Fred. 

"Now  that  is  real  mean,"  pouted  Mrs.  Jones.  "I  was 
trying  to  give  expression  to  the  inspiration  excited  by  this 
lovely  scene  in  the  form  of  poesy,  but  you  have  spoilt  it  all 
with  your  prosaic  comparison." 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC.  155 

"I  am  just  too  sorry  for  any  use  at  all,"  returned  Fred, 
looking  anything  but  regretful.  "But,  really  now,  Mrs. 
Jones,  how  could  you  possibly  express  the  idea  better?" 

"We  are  moving  straight  for  Washington/'  said  the  Pro 
fessor,  consulting  a  map  in  his  hand,  "and  at  this  speed  we 
shall  not  be  far  from  it  at  bedtime  to-night." 

"We  can  prepare  ourselves  for  a  grand  reception/'  re 
marked  Denison.  "The  good  people  of  L r  gave  us  an 

earnest  of  what  we  may  expect." 

"It  is  rather  pleasant  to  be  lionized,  but  we  shall  be 
obliged  to  draw  the  lines  somewhere,"  said  Dr.  Jones. 

"We  can  always  retreat  to  Silver  Cloud  when  tired  of  be 
ing  interviewed,  wined,  and  dined,"  interposed  Will. 

"Let's  plant  another  flagstaff  at  the  South  Pole,  Doctor," 
cried  Mattie.  "I  never  feel  so  well  as  when  afloat  upon 
this  boundless  sea." 

"Well  done,  Mattie,"  returned  the  Doctor,  patting  her 
on  the  head.  "What  a  bold  little  navigator  you  have 
grown  to  be!  And  boundless  sea  is  quite  poetic,  too.  But 
as  to  starting  immediately  for  the  South  Pole,  I  do  not 
think  we  can  do  so.  Perhaps  we  may,  however,  and  you 
can  rest  assured  that  this  sort  of  life  suits  me  amazingly. 
I  shall  favor  sailing  for  the  South  Pole  at  the  earliest  prac 
ticable  moment." 

"One  thing  is  certain,  and  that  is,  that  if  we  are  to  be  the 
first  to  reach  the  South  Pole,  we  cannot  put  the  expedition 
off  too  long,"  said  Will.  "Others  will  imitate  us  and  get 
there  before  us  if  we  give  them  time.  We  must  sail  within 
a  few  weeks  at  farthest." 

"That  is  true,"  assented  Dr  .Jones.  "But  let  us  see 
what  Sing  has  for  breakfast." 

So  they  entered  the  dining-room  and  ate  with  appetites 
known  to  but  few  terrestrials.  And  why  shouldn't  they? 
Their  sanitary  environments  were  perfect;  their  minds 
were  free  from  all  worldly  cares.  Hnnui  and  monotony 
were  entirely  unknown  aboard  Silver  Cloud,  because  of  the 
constantly  changing  panorama  of  land  and  sea.  There 
were  no  heartaches  nor  burning  envies  among  them,  for  all 
were  pure-minded  and  lived  as  God's  children  should  live 
the  world  over.  Why  shouldn't  they  be  plump  and  pure 
and  clean,  inside  and  out?  "We  have  all  outgrown  our 
clothes,"  as  Dr.  Jones  expressed  it. 


156  DR.  .TONES'  PICNIC. 

It  was  a  busy  day  aboard  ship.  The  whole  country  was 
on  the  lookout  for  them.  The  Doctor  lowered  to  within 
five  or  six  hundred  feet  of  the  earth,  and  the  cries  of  the 
multitudes  that  gathered  in  every  town  and  country  cor 
ner  continually  rang  in  their  ears. 

"Detroit  lies  directly  in  our  course.  Do  you  see  it  yon 
der?"  said  Professor  Gray. 

"0  yes!"  cried  Mrs.  Jones.  "I  am  glad  that  we  shall  get 
a.  good  view  of  the  beautiful  city  of  Detroit.  Away  to  the 
left  is  Lake  St.  Glair,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes/'  answered  the  Professor,  "and  that  is  the  Detroit 
River.  There  is  the  city.  Across  upon  the  opposite  side 
is  the  city  of  Windsor.  Just  see  the  crowds  of  people!  We 
are  being  well  advertised  by  telegraph." 

The  squares,  streets,  and  housetops  of  Detroit  were 
black  with  people.  Such  cheering  was  never  heard  in 
that  city  as  when  Silver  Cloud  majestically  passed  over  it. 
The  guns  of  the  fort  below  the  city  poured  out  thundering 
salutes  of  welcome. 

"The  poor,  dear  people!"  said  Mrs.  Jones.  "I  am  so 
glad  that  we  can  give  them  a  few  moment's  pleasure." 

"And  yet  we  have  done  nothing  marvelous,"  returned 
Dr.  Jones.  "We  have  only  made  use  of  one  of  God's  laws, 
and  without  any  hardship  or  special  exertion,  have  been 
to  the  North  Pole  and  back  through  the  kindness  of  Prov 
idence,  who  furnishes  us  with  extraordinarily  favoring 
gales.  The  people,  as  well  as  ourselves,  should  give  all  the 
glory  to  God." 

"You  are  too  modest  by  far,  Doctor,"  replied  Professor 
Gray.  "You  may  as  well  prepare  yourself  for  unstinted 
praise  and  honor.  What  you  have  done  is  simple  and  easy 
•enough  now  that  it  has  been  accomplished;  but  it  is  the 
conception  of  the  idea,  and  courage  and  faith  that  you 
have  exhibited,  that  the  world  will  honor.  It  was  precisely 
so  with  Christopher  Columbus.  To  cross  the  Atlantic  was 
a  comparatively  easy  affair  after  he  had  led  the  way.  You 
may  as  well  prepare  yourself  to  stand  in  the  niche  beside 
the  discoverer  of  America.  You  are  in  for  it,  sir,  and  I 
am  exceedingly  pleased  that  you  are.  For  I  know  that 
you  are  worthy  of  these  honors,  and  will  not  become  spoilt 
#nd  puffed  up  thereby.  Accept  my  heartfelt  congratula 
tions,  Doctor  Jones,"  and  the  two  shook  hands  cordially. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  157 

"And  mine,"  said  Denison,  also  shaking  the  Doctor's 
hand.  So  they  all  expressed  their  spontaneous  and  sin 
cere  respect  for  the  hero  of  the  expedition  who  had  so  evi 
dently  excited  the  praise  and  honor  of  the  entire  civilized 
earth.  The  little  man  was  deeply  affected. 

"I  should  he  but  an  arrant  humbug  to  affect  to  despise 
the  honor  that  the  world  seems  disposed  to  bestow  upon  us. 
I  say  us,  for  I  cannot  and  will  not  take  it  all  to  myself.  I 
may  have  been  the  originator  of  the  idea,  but  I  could  have 
done  nothing  without  your  co-operation,  dear  friends. 
But  this  is  very  unprofitable  conversation.  Let's  talk 
about  something  else.  There's  my  old  duck  pond,  Lake 
Erie.  Scores  of  times  have  I  sailed  from  one  end  of  it  to 
the  other;  and  hundreds  of  times  have  I  bathed  in  its 
limpid  waters.  There  is  no  spot  on  earth  that  I  love  as  I 
do  beautiful,  historic  Lake  Erie." 

This  was  the  grand  and  peculiar  feature  of  Dr.  Jones' 
character — an  utter  disregard  for  his  own  aggrandizement 
and  self-interest,  and  a  sincere  desire  to  make  everybody 
about  him  happy  and  comfortable.  And,  underlying  it  all, 
was  a  sublime  faith  in  Almighty  God.  These  three  essen 
tials  make  the  great  man:  modesty,  unselfishness,  and 
faith  in  God.  Anyone  is  great  who  possesses  them,  and  no 
one  is  great  who  lacks  either  of  them.  If  the  reader  has 
not  gathered  that  Dr.  Jones'  character  was  a  most  happy 
combination  of  these  cardinal  virtues,  then  we  have  in  no 
degree  done  him  justice.  And  while  he  was  kind  and 
loving  to  all  about  him,  yet  he  was  terribly  severe  with  tli  e 
incorrigibly  mean  and  vicious.  If  he  had  a  great  fault,  it 
was  in  this  particular.  No  one  could  be  more  loving  and 
tender  with  a  penitent;  but  the  stiff-necked  and  haughty, 
the  oppressors  of  the  poor,  were  an  abomination  unto  him. 

"I  used  to  fear  that  I  was  too  savage  when  I  came  into 
contact  with  such  people,"  said  he;  "but  one  day,  while 
reading  the  15th  Psalm,  I  received  a  flood  of  light  upon 
the  subject.  This  psalm  begins  by  asking:  'Lord,  who 
shall  abide  in  thy  tabernacle?  who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy 
hill?'  In  enumerating  the  qualifications  of  such  person, 
the  psalmist  says:  'He  that  contemneth  the  evil  man,  but 
he  honoreth  them  that  fear  the  Lord/  Now  that  word 


158  DR.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

'contemn/  for  the  first  time,  attracted  my  special  atten 
tion.  I  had  read  it  scores  of  times,  but  had  never  realized 
how  strong  a  term  was  here  used.  No  stronger  is  to  be 
found  in  the  language.  It  means  to  despise,  detest,  spurn, 
etc.  I  was  startled,  but  I  was  at  the  same  time  glad.  I 
could  not  help  it,  but  I  always  did  despise  and  detest  a 
man  who  would  grind  the  face  of  the  poor,  or  who  would 
keep  back  the  wage  of  the  laborer.  Not  that  I  would  judge 
him,  or  take  vengeance  upon  him;  and  I  must  forgive  him 
and  receive  him  as  my  brother  when  he  repents.  But  until 
he  does  turn  from  the  evil  of  his  ways,  and  does  his  best 
at  making  restitution,  I  can  do  a  jolly  good  job  at  'con 
temning'  him." 

The  blue  south  shore  of  the  lake  soon  hecame  visible. 
A  more  entrancing  picture  than  that  of  Silver  Cloud  float 
ing  swiftly  over  the  great  lake,  so  thickly  dotted  with 
steamers  and  sailing  vessels,  cannot  be  imagined.  The  ex 
hilaration  of  the  occupants  as  they  looked  from  their  com 
manding  altitude  upon  this  delightful  scenery  was  extreme. 
Many  adjectives  are  used  in  describing  the  scenery  and  ex 
periences  connected  with  this  notable  voyage,  but  language 
is  far  too  feeble  to  do  the  subject  full  justice. 

The  Doctor  pointed  out  the  various  islands,  lakeports, 
etc.,  with  all  of  which  he  was  perfectly  familiar.  The  wind 
became  more  westerly,  and  they  passed  into  Ohio  away  to 
the  east  of  Cleveland. 

"I  would  have  been  glad  to  have  stopped  a  little  while  at 
Cleveland,"  said  Dr.  Jones,  "but  we  must  hasten  on  while 
the  wind  is  favorable." 

"Is  it  absolutely  necessary  that  we  take  Silver  Cloud  to 
Washington?"  asked  Denison.  "Suppose  the  winds  should 
be  contrary  for  a  considerable  time,  could  we  not  anchor, 
and  Professor  Gray,  the  ladies,  and  yourself  take  the  train 
for  the  Capital?" 

"Yes,  and  we  will  do  that  if  necessary.  But  I  much  pre 
fer  that  we  sail  there  together.  It  would  then  look  as  if 
we  could  come  and  go  as  we  liked,  and  give  some  degree  of 
color  to  my  theory,  that  we  can  find  any  current  we  wish 
by  hunting  for  it." 

"That  is  all  right  in  America,  but  doesn't  hold  good  in 
Russia,  Doctor,"  said  Will,  laughingly. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  169 

"Never  mind,  sonny/'  good-humoredly  replied  the  Doc 
tor.  "All  rules  have  their  exceptions,  and  we  happened  to 
strike  a  full-grown,  lusty  one  that  time.  But  I  shall  al 
ways  be  thankful  that  my  rule  failed  for  once.  I  think 
more  of  the  seed  I  sowed  there  than  I  do  of  our  planting 
the  flagstaff  at  the  North  Pole." 

The  wind  continued  very  brisk,  a  little  north  of  west, 
and  the  ship  was  heading  considerably  north  of  Washing 
ton. 

"We  are  pointing  straight  as  a  gun  barrel  for  New  York 
City,"  said  Will,  who  was  consulting  a  map. 

"New  York  is  considerably  east  of  Washington,"  re 
marked  the  Doctor,  looking  over  the  map  with  Will.  "I 
will  tell  you  what  we  will  do.  If  the  wind  continues  as  it 
now  is  we  will  go  on  to  New  York  and  await  a  favorable 
wind.  What  do  you  all  think  of  that  proposition?" 

"Nothing  could  be  more  appropriate,  since  we  must  an 
chor,  than  that  it  should  be  at  the  metropolis  of  America," 
answered  Professor  Gray. 

So  it  was  agreed  that  they  should  make  New  York  their 
next  anchorage  if  possible.  Along  in  the  afternoon  they 
were  near  the  center  of  Pennsylvania  and  were  approach 
ing  a  large  town.  The  people  were  evidently  looking  for 
them,  for  immense  crowds  could  be  seen  gathered  in  many 
places. 

"I  think  that  I  will  send  a  telegram  from  here  to  the 
mayor  of  New  York  that  we  will  try  and  make  that  city 
to-night.  At  what  time  should  we  arrive  there  at  our 
present  speed?"  he  inquired  of  Professor  Gray. 

The  Professor  consulted  his  watch  and  map  a  moment, 
and  replied,  "About  eight  o'clock  this  evening,  Doctor." 

The  telegram  was  written  accordingly.  Silver  Cloud 
descended  to  within  four  hundred  feet  of  the  earth,  and 
when  over  the  center  of  the  city,  the  Doctor  leaned  over 
the  balustrade  and  shouted,  "Will  you  please  forward  this 
message  for  me?"  As  he  said  this  he  dropped  the  message, 
wrapped  about  a  silver  half  dollar.  One  of  the  thousands 
of  willing  hands  caught  it,  and  a  voice  answered,  "Aye, 
aye,  Doctor  Jones!" 

"They  all  have  your  name,  Doctor.  You  are  the  best 
known  man  in  America  to-day.  And  I  doubt  if  there  is 


160  DR-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

one  in  the  world  so  much  talked  of  as  you  are,"  said  Pro 
fessor  Gray. 

"And  that  just  shows  how  small  a  matter  makes  one 
famous.  A  few  months  ago  I  was  an  humble,  inconse 
quential  country  doctor.  My  greatest  delight  and  ambition 
at  that  time  was  to  find  the  indicated  remedy,  and  see  the 
sick  recover.  And  I  declare  to  you  now,  that  while  I  en 
joy  this  racing  through  the  skies,  and  the  roar  and  ac 
clamation  of  the  multitudes,  yet  all  these  are  but  second 
ary  and  insignificant  to  my  mind,  when  compared  with 
that  other  great  ambition  of  my  life — the  recognition  by 
the  medical  world  of  the  fact  that  there  is  an  immutable 
law  of  God  for  our  guidance  in  the  selection  of  the  rem 
edy  for  the  sick.  And  my  daily  prayer  now  is  that  my 
Father  will  keep  me  humble,  so  that  he  can  use  me  to  this 
end.  For  I  tell  you,  friends/'  and  the  Doctor  struck  the 
table  near  him  a  mighty  blow  with  his  fist  by  way  of  em 
phasis,  "that  God  can  use  no  man  who  feels  his  own  im 
portance,  and  is  inclined  to  take  all  the  glory  to  himself. 
He  is  simply  a  weak-minded  bungler,  who  gets  into  the 
way  and  frustrates  whatever  designs  God  might  otherwise 
have  worked  through  him." 

The  Doctor  was  upon  his  favorite  theme — the  propa- 
gandism  of  the  peculiar  system  of  medicine  of  which  he 
was  so  faithful  and  successful  a  practitioner — and  they 
had  left  the  city  far  behind  them,  when  he  again  paid 
attention  to  the  rapidly  changing  scenery  below.  The 
wind  had  increased  to  a  strong  gale,  and  they  were  cross 
ing  the  full  length  of  Pennsylvania  at  astounding  speed. 
They  passed  over  the  mountain  ranges  of  the  eastern  part 
of  the  state,  with  as  little  concern  or  thought  as  if  they 
had  been  level  plain  or  water.  So  greatly  had  their  speed 
accelerated,  that  by  six  o'clock  the  smoke  of  the  great 
city  was  discernible  immediately  before  them.  The  beau 
tiful  Hudson  looked  like  a  silver  ribbon  trending  away 
to  the  north.  New  York  bay  with  its  shipping  from  all 
quarters  of  the  earth,  Liberty  Lighting  the  World,  the 
suspension  bridge,  and  the  tall  buildings  of  the  city,  were 
all  distinctly  seen  by  the  voyagers  at  a  great  distance. 
The  booming  of  cannon  announced  to  our  friends  that 
they  had  been  sighted  by  those  upon  the  lookout  for 
them.  A  few  moments  later  they  had  crossed  the  river 


DR.  JONES'    PICNIC.  161 

and  were  skimming  over  the  housetops,  looking  for  an 
anchorage. 

"There  is  Central  Park.  We  shall  pass  over  the  south, 
end  of  it.  That  is  the  place  for  us  to  drop  anchor/'  said 
the  Professor. 

"All  right,  Professor.  Stand  by  boys!  Let  them  go!" 
cried  the  Doctor. 

Down  to  the  earth  went  two  anchors.  They  almost 
immediately  caught  in  the  strong  limbs  of  the  shade  trees 
and  Silver  Cloud  was  again  safely  anchored.  It  was  well 
that  this  immense  park  had  chanced  to  be  their  stopping 
place,  for  the  people  were  wild  with  excitement,  and 
poured  into  it  like  a  mighty  flood.  The  shout  that  went 
up  was  deafening  as  the  Doctor  and  Professor  descended 
to  the  ground.  The  whole  party  came  down,  two  by  two, 
the  fastenings  of  the  globe  were  made  doubly  secure,  a 
posse  of  policemen  put  in  charge  of  it,  and  then  they 
submitted  themselves  to  the  committee  of  reception  ap 
pointed  by  the  mayor.  Carriages  awaited  them,  and  they 
were  conveyed  to  a  hotel  as  rapidly  as  the  densely  crowd 
ed  streets  would  permit.  No  conqueror  ever  received  a 
more  tremendous  ovation!  Frequently  the  carriages  were 
brought  to  a  dead  standstill,  and  only  the  most  strenuous 
efforts  of  scores  of  policemen  could  make  a  passage  for 
them.  But  finally  their  enthusiasm  broke  through  all 
barriers.  The  horses  were  taken  from  the  vehicles,  and 
hundreds  of  friendly  hands  grasped  the  ropes  attached  to 
the  ends  of  the  tongues,  and  then  better  progress  was 
made.  The  Doctor  bore  his  honors  with  gentle  dignity, 
taking  off  his  hat,  and  bowing  frequently  to  the  right 
and  left  to  his  excited  and  enthusiastic  countrymen  who 
thus  delighted  to  do  him  honor.  If  Mrs.  Jones'  eyes  filled 
with  tears  of  pride  and  delight  as  she  witnessed  this  out 
pouring  of  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  the  man  whom  she 
loved  above  anything  upon  earth,  surely  no  one  will 
censure  her  for  that.  The  travelers  had  met  with  some 
hearty  receptions,  but  never  with  anything  like  this.  It 
was  not  the  male  portion  only  who  were  demonstrative, 
but  the  ladies  were  equally  active  in  their  expressions  of 
appreciation.  The  carriages  were  literally  filled  with  rich 
boquets  of  flowers  that  rained  into  them.  And  when  they 
could  bring  them  to  a  standstill,  the  crush  about  the  vehi- 


162  1>R-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

cles  almost  threatened  their  destruction.  They  shook 
hands  with  as  many  as  climbed  up  within  reach,  not  a 
few  of  whom  were  ladies. 

"Upon  my  word,  girls,  I  don't  know  but  they  will  eat 
us  up/'  said  the  Doctor  to  his  wife  and  Mattie,  who  sat 
beside  him  in  the  leading  landau. 

But  all  things  earthly  have  an  end,  and  the  party  fin 
ally  landed  at  the  entrance  of  the  hotel.  Here  the  press 
was  tremendous,  and  it  was  with  extreme  difficulty  that 
they  at  last  reached  the  parlor,  where  the  mayor  and 
many  distinguished  citizens  awaited  them. 

"I  fear  you  have  had  a  rough  passage  through  our 
streets,"  said  the  mayor. 

"I  give  you  my  word,  sir,  that  we  have  been  in  more 
danger  during  the  last  half  hour  than  in  all  the  balance 
of  our  voyage,"  replied  Dr.  Jones. 

"You  have  stirred  the  world,  and  turned  it  upside 
down,  and  you  will  have  to  stand  the  consequences  of  your 
unprecedented  popularity.  It  is  so  refreshing  to  see  a 
man  do  the  impossible  with  the  nonchalance  and  ease 
that  you  have  displayed  that  you  must  not  complain  if 
we  nearly  kill  you  with  the  best  intentions  in  the  world. 
But  I  promise  that  we  will  endeavor  to  make  it  as  easy 
for  you  as  possible,  while  with  us/5 

"I  have  lived  all  my  life  in  New  York,  but  I  am  sure 
that  I  never  saw  our  city  so  excited  as  it  is  to-night," 
said  another  gentleman.  "Just  listen  to  them!  Come 
out  upon  the  balcony  and  look  at  them." 

As  they  stepped  out  and  looked  up  and  down  Broad 
way,  far  as  they  could  see  the  great  thoroughfare  was 
filled  with  people.  The  voyagers  were  instantly  recog 
nized,  and  such  a  roar  as  went  up  from  that  vast  multi 
tude!  It  continued  until  the  mayor  stepped  forward  and 
raised  his  hand  to  command  silence. 

"Speak  to  them  a  few  words,  Doctor,  and  send  them 
home,"  said  he. 

The  Doctor  stepped  forward  and  cried  at  the  top  of  his 
powerful  voice1 

"Friends  and  fellow  countrymen.  Of  course,  I  expected 
you  would  be  glad  to  see  a  party  who  travel  in  so  splendid 
a  chariot  as  the  great  aluminum  ship.  And  I  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  are  all  aware  that  Silver  Cloud,  as  we 


l>lt.  JONES*  PICNIC.  1^3 

have  named  the  globe,  carried  us  to  the  North  Pole  and 
back  safely  and  pleasantly.  And  to-night,  as  we  stand 
in  the  great  metropolis  of  the  Western  hemisphere,  there 
flies  from  the  most  splendid  flagstaff  upon  earth,  located 
precisely  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  earth's  axis, 
the  Flag  of  our  Union!  (At  this  point,  the  patriotic  en 
thusiasm  of  the  hearers  could  not  be  restrained,  and  for 
several  minutes  the  Doctor  stood  and  awaited  the  subsi 
dence  of  the  cheerinp.)  But  I  have  a  proposition  to  make 
you.  The  Mayor  desires  that  you  all  retire  now  to  your 
homes,  and  I  promise  you  that  to-morrow  night  we  will 
tell  you  all  about  our  trip,  and  show  you  how  we  planted 
the  flagstaff  at  the  North  Pole.  I  bid  you  all  good  night." 
"That  was  good,  Doctor,  -and  I  think  that  now  they  will 
disperse  quite  satisfied,"  said  the  mayor.  "You  are  the 
city's  guests,  remember,  and  we  are  extremely  desirous  of 
rendering  you  every  possible  honor  and  pleasure.  I  do 
not  doubt  that  you  are  all  fatigued  with  so  much  excite 
ment  and  sightseeing  as  you  have  been  through  to-day, 
and  we  will  let  you  retire.  Good-night." 


164  I>K.  JONES'  PICNIC. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

The  World  at  the  Feet  of  Doctor  Jones. 

The  following  morning  our  friends  were  up  be-timea 
and  were  soon  engaged  in  the  busiest  day  of  their  lives. 
The  wind  was  still  unfavorable  for  their  passage  to  Wash 
ington,  and  they  abandoned  themselves  to  the  numerous 
duties  that  pressed  upon  them,  and  hospitalities  of  the 
friendly  Gothamites.  Messages  almost  innumerable  and 
visitors  by  thousands  poured  in  upon  them.  Mrs. 
Jones,  Mattie,  and  Denison  acted  as  secretaries  for  Dr. 
Jones,  while  Will  and  Fred  performed  the  same  office  for 
Professor  Gray.  Reporters  by  scores  beseigcd  them  at  all 
hours.  The  Doctor  disposed  of  these  importunate  visi 
tors  by  appointing  an  hour  when  he  met  them  in  a  body 
in  a  private  room,  and  there  answered  their  numerous 
questions.  At  three  o'clock  P.  M.  the-  mayor  called,  and 
through  a  private  exit  the  whole  party  was  led  to  car 
riages,  and  shown  a  considerable  portion  of  the  better 
part  of  the  city.  They  drove  to  the  globe  and  found  it 
surrounded  by  thousands  of  admirers.  Silver  Cloud 
proudly  floated  above  them,  gently  oscillating  in  the 
breeze,  slightly  bowing  to  the  right  and  left,  as  if  com 
placently  acknowledging  the  admiration  and  praises  o 
its  visitors. 

The  carriages  were  driven  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
globe.  Will  and  Denison  worked  their  way  to  the  cage 
and  ascended  to  the  cabin.  The  vast  throng  watched 
this  proceeding  with  intense  interest,  and  made  the  wel 
kin  ring  with  their  shouts  as  the  two  men  safely  entered 
the  manhole.  They  examined  the  thermometer,  trimmed 
the  burners  that  were  necessary  to  be  kept  alight,  wound 
up  the  motor  springs,  and  then  descended  with  a  rapid 
ity  that  caused  the  spectators  to  hold  their  breaths. 

After  several  hours'  driving,  during  which  time  the 
mayor  pointed  out  many  objects  of  interest,  they  were 
driven  to  their  hotel  and  left  to  rest  and  prepare  for  the 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  165 

evening's  entertainment.  They  had  been  informed  that 
the  largest  building  in  the  city  had  been  engaged,  and 
the  whole  party  of  Arctic  explorers  were  earnestly  re 
quested  to  meet  the  public  that  evening  in  said  building. 
This  they  consented  to  do.  There  was  not  the  slightest 
snobbishness  about  Dr.  Jones,  or  it  certainly  would  have 
manifested  itself  now  when  the  world  was  at  his  feet.  But 
the  little  man  was  as  kind  and  unaffectedly  friendly  now 
as  ever  in  his  life.  He  was  a  close  student  of  human  na 
ture  too,  and  thoroughly  understood  that  they  were  fully 
capable  of  crying  "Hosannah!"  to-day,  and  "Crucify  him! 
crucify  him!"  to-morrow.  Human  nature  is  not  different 
from  what  it  was  thousands  of  years  ago.  It  is  no  better 
and  no  worse.  Unregenerate  man  is  out  of  harmony  with 
his  Maker;  and  being  possessed  of  a  finite  mind,  he  can 
never  be  right,  do  right,,  nor  keep  right  until  he  places 
himself  unreservedly  into  God's  hands. 

"Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea, 
But  that  thy  blood  was  shed  for  me, 

And  that  thou  bidst  me  come  to  thee, 
0  Lamb  of  God!    I  come." 

"When  I  would  do  good,  evil  is  ever  present  with  me," 
was  St.  Paul's  experience.  It  is  yours  and  it  is  mine, 
gentle  reader.  There  is  no  escape  from  it,  except  through 
the  blood  of  Christ.  Then  shall  we  commit  all  our  ways 
unto  Him,  and  shall  never  be  moved.  This  is  the  one 
great  cause  of  man's  inconstancy.  He  is  constantly  seek 
ing  after  that  which  shall  satisfy  the  cravings  of  his  never 
riving  soul,  but  refuses  the  light  which  God  gives  him. 
lie  sips  from  every  cup  of  worldly  pleasure,  and  madly 
rushes  after  the  sensation  of  the  hour,  be  it  good  or  bad. 
One  after  tho  other,  they  pall  upon  hie  wearied  senses, 
and  he  dashes  them  from  his  lips  in  disgust.  Happy  alone 
is  he  who  listens  to  that  Voice,  'Come  unto  Me,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest/ 

That  evening,  before  many  thousands  of  people,  our 
friends  did  what  they  could  to  please  them.  They  sang 
as  they  never  had  done  in  their  lives.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
>av  that  their  efforts  were  received  with  tremendous 


166  EH-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

rounds  of  encores  by  the  delighted  host.  The  music  was 
interspersed  with  appropriate  speeches  from  the  mayor 
and  other  civic  dignitaries.  They  all  spoke  in  unlimited 
terms  of  praise  of  the  man  who  had  conceived  the  idea  of 
the  aluminum  globe,  and  who  had  had  the  courage  of  his 
convictions.  He  had  added  undying  glory  to  the  land 
that  bore  him,  and  now  that  land  delighted  to  honor  him 
by  every  means  within  her  power,  etc. 

The  Doctor  and  Professor  each  spoke  at  some  length. 
giving  the  history  of  the  expedition  and  the  importance 
of  it  to  the  scientific  world.  The  Doctor  told  them  of 
the  planting  of  the  aluminum  flagstaff  in  terse,  graphic 
language,  and  concluded  by  saying: 

"And  now  friends,  we  will  conclude  the  evening's  per 
formance  by  giving  you  an  exact  representation  of  how 
we  marched  about  the  flagstaff  and  sang  Professor  Marsh's 
composition,  'The  North  Pole  March/  You  must  imagine 
the  thermometer  sixty  or  more  degrees  below  zero  in  order 
to  appreciate  the  scene." 

A  fair  representation  of  the  foot  of  the  flagstaff  had 
been  improvised,  and  the  stage  was  made  to  look  like  a 
field  of  snow  and  ice.  In  a  circle  about  the  pole  were  set 
vessels  of  burning  oil.  "Within  this  circle  the  friends 
marched  to  the  beautiful  music  that  Fred  played  upon 
the  aluminum  organ  (for  even  that  instrument  had  been 
brought  by  Denison  and  Will  from  the  globe,  that  the 
scene  might  lack  nothing  in  realism.) 

And  so  real  was  the  scene  as  they  marched  in  their 
sealskin  suits — poor  Sing  among  them,  though  he  could 
not  sing — and  so  inspiring  was  the  music,  that  the  vast 
assemblage  sat  still  as  death,  every  sense  strained  to  the 
highest  tension,  that  they  might  not  lose  a  movement 
nor  note.  When  they  finished,  the  shout  that  went  up 
was  a  tremendous  lungburst  that  was  simply  deafening. 
Men,  women,  and  children  jumped  upon  their  feet,  waved 
their  handkerchiefs,  and  screamed  and  shouted  them 
selves  hoarse.  Nor  would  they  cease  until  the  lights  had 
all  been  turned  low,  and  they  realized  that  the  Children 
of  the  Skies  would  appear  no  more  that  night.  They  had 
improved  the  opportunity  while  the  multitude  thus  en 
cored  to  make  their  escape  in  their  carriages  to  the  hotel. 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  167 

"I  don't  know,  Doctor,  but  you  will  be  responsible  for 
many  cases  of  lunacy  among  our  people,"  said  the  mayor. 
"I  never  saw  them  so  utterly  carried  a^vay  as  they  were 
with  your  company  and  the  globe.  All  you  have  to  do 
is  to  take  to  the  stage  and  you  can  bankrupt  the  nation." 

After  a  quiet  supper  with  a  select  party  of  notables  of 
the  city,  our  friends  were  permitted  to  retire  for  the 
night. 

"I  am  anxious  to  get  on  to  Washington.  This  is  very 
pleasant,  but  1  much  prefer  the  cabin  of  Silver  Cloud, 
with  you,  my  dear  friends,  to  all  this  hustling,  cramming, 
and  jambing.  The  people  are  kind  as  they  can  be,  and 
are  doing  everything  for  our  comfort  and  pleasure,  but  I 
never  could  endure  being  crowded.  Give  me  plenty  of 
elbow  room  or  give  me  death!"  cried  Dr.  Jones. 

"Who  would  have  thought  that  our  march  about  the 
pole  would  make  such  a  sensation!"  said  Mrs.  Jones. 
"Your  North  Pole  March  will  make  your  fortune,  Fred. 
You  should  immediately  copyright  and  publish  it.  You 
could  sell  thousands  of  copies  to-morrow." 

"All  right,  Mrs.  Jones;  I  will  profit  by  your  suggestion," 
answered  Fred,  gayly.  "Dear  old  Silver  Cloud  is  making 
us  all  famous  and  rich.  Strike  while  the  iron's  hot;7 
'Make  hay  while  the  sun  shines;'  etc.  My  next  attempt 
will  be  the  Silver  Cloud  Waltz.  This  is  the  tide  in  my 
affairs,  and  I  must  be  thrifty  enough  to  take  it  at  its 
flood." 

On  the  following  morning  after  breakfast  it  was  observ 
ed  that  the  wind  was  from  the  nor-nor-east,  or  nearly  ex 
actly  toward  their  destination. 

"Shall  we  sail  to-day,  or  accept  further  hospitalities  of 
New  York?"  asked  Dr.  Jones  of  the  company.  The  un 
animous  decision  was  that  they  sail  immediately. 

The  mayor  was  telephoned  that  they  would  sail  within 
one  or  two  hours,  the  wind  being  favorable.  A  few  mo 
ments  later  that  gentleman  appeared  in  the  parlor  where 
they  were  sitting  and  said  hastily: 

"My  dear  Doctor,  we  cannot  let  you  go  to-day.  We 
have  a  splendid  program  laid  out  for  you,  and  our  people 
will  be  greatly  disappointed  if  you  do  not  stop  at  least 
another  day.  Besides,  great  excursions  by  steamers  and 


168  I>B.  JONES'   PICNIC. 

rail  are  expected  to-morrow.  We  cannot  let  you  oft*  for 
two  or  three  days  yet." 

"My  dear  sir,  nothing  would  give  me  greater  pleasure 
than  to  remain  as  long  as  you  desire.  But  my  commands 
are  peremptory  from  Washington  to  report  there  at  the 
earliest  practicable  moment.  So  I  really  have  no  option 
in  the  matter,  and  must  sail  this  very  morning,"  replied 
Dr.  Jones. 

"  Such  being  the  case,  Doctor,  I  am  too  good  a  citizen 
to  urge  you  to  disobey  orders.  We  will  say  no  more  about 
it,  but  thank  you  for  the  pleasure  you  have  given  us,  and 
wish  you  f  Bon  Voyage.'  " 

"  You  may  do  better  than  that,  sir.  We  should  be  ex 
ceedingly  pleased  to  have  you  and  your  family  accompany 
us  to  Washington.  We  can  promise  you  the  sensation 
and  pleasure  of  your  lifetime,"  returned  the  Doctor. 

"  O  do  come,  sir!  "  cried  Mrs.  Jones.  "  Bring  your  fam 
ily  and  give  them  the  greatest  treat  this  world  affords." 

"  I  will  consult  them,  immediate^.  But  I  fear  that 
they  are  poor  sailors,  and  can  hardly  be  persuaded  to 
venture  a  trip  in  an  air-ship." 

"  I  will  see  that  they  do  not  suffer  from  seasickness," 
said  the  Doctor.  "  Prevail  upon  them  to  come  if  possible, 
for  I  know  you  will  never  regret  it.  Now  shall  we  re 
main  here,  or  meet  you  at  the  globe?  " 

"  Remain  here,  please,  and  I  will  return  with  all  possi 
ble  expedition." 

A  half  hour  later  he  returned  with  his  wife  and  two 
daughters,  the  latter  being  stylish,  lovely  girls  of  about 
Mattie's  age.  All  three  were  in  a  state  of  more  or  less 
nervousness  and  trepidation  at  the  idea  of  a  sail  through 
the  sky,  and  yet  they  could  not  resist  the  desire  to  go. 

"O  Mrs.  Jones!  Miss  Bronson!  don't  you  feel  awfully 
frightened  away  up  there,  thousands  of  feet  from  the 
earth?"  asked  one  of  the  girls. 

"  Not  the  least  bit!  "  replied  Mrs.  Jones.  "  So  far  from 
that,  will  you  believe  me,  I  feel  better  and  fully  as  safe 
in  the  cabin  of  our  Silver  Cloud,  five  thousand  feet  from 
the  earth,  as  I  do  in  this  parlor." 

"Do  you  hear  that,  mamma?"  cried  the  elder  girl, 
<'And  what  an  appropriate,  beautiful  name — Silver  Cloud. 


DR.  JONES'  PIGNIO.  169 

Well,  I  am  determined  to  be  a  good  sailor,  and  enjoy  this 
trip  as  I  never  did  anything  in  my  life." 

UI  will  meet  you  within  an  hour  at  the  ship,"  said  the 
mayor.  "I  must  attend  to  some  business  before  I  can 
go/'  and  he  hurried  away. 

An  hour  later  they  were  all  standing  upon  the  balcony 
of  Silver  Cloud,  excepting  Will  and  Denison.  They  were 
standing  by  the  spring  motors  to  hoist  and  stow  the  an 
chors 

The  news  had  spread  that  the  great  globe  was  about  to 
sail,  and  people  were  rushing  by  thousands  to  witness  its 
departure.  The  signal  was  given,  and  Silver  Cloud  arose 
so  majestically  and  beautifully  above  the  great  city  that 
the  people  roared  like  another  Niagara  at  the  transcend- 
ently  glorious  spectacle!  It  rose  to  the  height  of  eight 
hundred  feet,  and  moved  rapidly  toward  the  southwest. 
They  maintained  this  comparatively  low  altitude  on  ac 
count  of  their  visitors  manifesting  symptoms  of  extreme 
terror,  especially  the  young  ladies.  But  Mrs.  Jones  and 
Mat  tie  soothed  and  petted  them,  and  assured  them  so 
positively  of  their  perfect  safety  that  by  degrees  they  be 
came  quiet,  and  in  a  short  time  were  enjoying  the  scen 
ery,  and  watching  through  their  glasses  the  main  objects 
of  interest. 

"Mrs.  Jones,"  said  the  mayor's  wife,  "I  do  not  wonder 
that  you  prefer  the  cabin  of  this  ship  to  the  parlor  of  our 
grandest  city  hotel.  This  is  the  most  inspiring  scene  I 
ever  witnessed,  and  one  that  I  should  never  grow  tired 
of.  How  cool  and  pure  this  atmosphere  is!  I  am  sure 
that  nothing  could  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  or 
your  splendid  ship." 

"0  madam!  but  you  should  have  seen  Silver  Cloud  be 
fore  we  robbed  her  of  her  chief  ornament,  the  flagstaff. 
That  was  her  glory,  as  a  fine  head  of  hair  is  a  woman's," 
replied  Dr.  Jones,  who  had  overheard  the  lady's  remark. 
"I  shall  never  be  satisfied  until  we  have  replaced  it." 

The  ship,  meantime,  was  hastening  at  a  forty  mile  gait 
toward  the  Capital.  The  trip  was  one  long  thrill  of  ex 
citement  and  pleasure  to  the  visitors.  The  Doctor  had 
settled  all  symptoms  of  nausea  with  his  well-selected  rem 
edies,  and  nothing  more  could  be  desired  to  add  to  their 
pleasure  and  comfort. 


170  E>R-  JONES'  PICNIC. 

At  the  hour  of  noon  they  sat  down  to  lunch.  They  ate 
but  little,  the  excitement  having  more  or  less  destroyed 
their  appetites.  But  they  sat  a  considerable  time  at  the 
table  and  talked  animatedly  upon  various  topics;  princi 
pally,  though,  of  the  ship  and  their  voyage  to  and  from 
the  Pole.  The  ladies  could  not  sufficiently  admire  and 
praise  the  beauty,  cleanliness,  and  comfort  of  the  cabin. 

Fred  was  seated  beside  Grace,  the  younger  of  the  sis 
ters,  and  they  were  discussing  music.  She  praised  his 
North  Pole  March  in  unstinted  terms,  until  he  blushed 
to  the  ears  with  delight.  She  and  her  elder  sister,  Rose, 
were  musicians  of  a  high  order,  and  had  graduated  at  the 
leading  musical  conservatories  of  America.  They  had  be 
sides  spent  several  years  in  Europe  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge  in  that  line.  Fred  asked  Grace  to  promenade 
the  balcony  with  him.  She  immediately  accepted  the 
proposition,  and  they  were  soon  oblivious  to  the  world  in 
the  discussion  of  their  favorite  theme — music.  No  doubt 
the  inspiring  scene  below  and  all  about  them  drew  out  all 
the  finer  sentiments  of  their  beings.  And  what  could  two 
handsome,  heartwhole,  sentimental  young  beings  do  but 
fall 

"Not  over  the  balustrade !" 
0  no!  but  into  love! 

The  whole  company  now  came  out  upon  the  balcony, 
and  they  slowly  promenaded  about  the  four  sides  of  the 
cabin.  We  cannot  describe  the  witchery  and  beauty  of 
the  fast-flying  panorama  below.  Our  pen  falters,  and  the 
picture  must  be  left  to  the  imagination  of  the  reader. 

The  mayor  was  very  familiar  with  the  topography  of 
the  country,  and  pointed  out  the  various  rivers,  mountain 
ranges,  cities,  towns,  etc.  About  three  o'clock  the  capitol 
buildings,  Washington  monument,  and  other  tall  struct 
ures  about  the  city  hove  in  sight.  They  were  immediately 
Been,  for  the  great  guns  in  all  the  forts  about  the  city  fired 
thundering  salutes. 

"They  are  loaded  to  the  muzzle  for  us,  Doctor,"  said 
Professor  Gray. 

"It  appears  so,"  he  replied.  "I  only  wish  it  was  all 
over  with." 


DR.  JONES'  PICNIC.  171 

"What  park  is  that?"  he  asked  a  few  moments  later, 
pointing  to  one  that  lay  directly  in  their  course.  The 

Professor  mentioned  its  name,  and  thought  it  a  very  con 
venient  place  for  anchorage.  Accordingly,  Silver  Cloud 
swooped  down  upon  it  with  a  velocity  that  fairly  took 
away  the  breath  of  the  mayor  and  family.  A  few  mo 
ments  later,  Silver  Cloud  was  safely  anchored,  after 
her  voyage  of  many  thousands  of  miles,  at  her  starting 
point.  In  a  little  less  than  four  months  they  had  made 
the  most  extraordinary  trip  known  in  the  world's  history, 
that  of  Columbus  not  excepted,  and  were  now  safely  re 
turned  ! 

Two  by  two  they  descended  to  earth,  and,  as  in  New 
York,  carriages  awaited  them.  Evidently  preparations 
for  their  reception  had  been  made  upon  a  colossal  scale. 
The  air  was  thundering  and  riven  with  the  voices  of  the 
innumerable  hosts,  brass  bands  on  every  hand  in  full 
blast,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  hear  a  word  said  by  the 
nearest  neighbor. 

The  police,  fire,  and  military  forces  were  out  in  full 
strength.  The  voyagers,  mayor  of  New  York  and  family, 
were  seated  in  landaus,  and  with  ropes  the  girls  of  all  the 
public  schools,  each  dressed  in  pure  white  and  bearing 
in  her  hand  an  American  flag,  drew  the  vehicles  through 
the  principal  streets  of  the  city.  Each  of  the  little  maids 
wore  upon  her  bare  head  a  chaplet  of  flowers,  and  the 
scene  was  one  of  indescribable  beauty.  And  as  they  walk 
ed  they  sang  in  sweetest  harmony, 

"See,  the  conquering  hero  comes." 

Dr.  Jones  was  affected  to  tears  at  this  sight^  and  could 
scarcely  contain  himself.  At  last  the  procession  stopped 
before  the  grand  central  entrance  of  the  capitol  building. 
Upon  the  top  steps  they  were  met  by  the  President  and 
his  cabinet,  many  members  of  both  houses,  though  Con 
gress  was  not  in  session  at  this  season.  Ministers  and 
plenipotentiaries  from  nearly  every  court  in  the  world 
were  also  there.  Judges,  statesmen,  and  journalists  were 
in  attendance  by  scores.  Nothing  was  left  undone  that 
could  in  any  way  add  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  the  hero 
of  the  day.  The  modesty  and  unaffected  dignity  with 


172  1>B.  JONES'  PICNIC. 

which  he  received  it  all,  clothed  him  as  with  a  garment, 
and  was  a  marvel  to  even  those  who  knew  him  best. 

But  it  would  prove  tedious  to  the  reader  if  we  were  to 
relate  in  detail  all  the  speech-making  and  public  recep 
tions  tendered  our  friends.  The  Doctor  and  Professor 
before  vast  audiences  told  the  story  of  their  journey,  the 
planting  of  the  pole,  the  scientific  value  of  observations 
made  by  Professor  Gray,  etc.  The  concert  and  North 
Pole  March  were  rendered  several  times. 

In  a  week  or  so  the  furore  began  to  subside,  and  the 
company  were  glad  to  settle  down  to  a  comparatively 
quiet  life  in  a  large  furnished  house,  which  the  Doctor 
rented.  Callers  were  coming  and  going  continually  dur 
ing  several  hours  daily,  and  invitations  to  parties,  dinners, 
concerts,  operas,  etc.,  were  very  numerous.  The  mayor 
and  family  returned  to  New  York  after  spending  a  week 
with  the  friends.  They  declared  that  they  envied  them 
their  trip  to  the  South  Pole,  and  should  never  be  satisfied 
until  they  had  enjoyed  another  sail  in  Silver  Cloud. 

The  Doctor  and  Professor  were  kept  very  busy  in  con 
sultation  with  governmental  officials  and  scientific  men. 
The  naval  and  military  departments  were  especially  inter 
ested  in  the  probabilities  and  possibilities  of  the  use  of 
air-ships  in  warfare.  An  arrangement  was  made  to  take 
a  party  of  military  men  on  a  trip  in  Silver  Cloud.  A  very 
successful  and  brilliant  voyage  of  several  hundreds  of  miles 
to  the  south  and  return  was  made,  during  which  the  Doc 
tor  actually  encountered  an  opportunity  to  exemplify  his 
theory  as  to  air  currents.  While  they  were  driving  rapid 
ly  south  at  an  altitude  of  but  four  or  five  hundred  feet, 
he  rapidly  rose  several  thousand  feet  and  encountered 
a  splendid  northerly  current  that  carried  them  back  to 
their  starting  point  in  a  way  that  pleased  the  little  man 
wonderfully  well.  This  was  a  great  triumph  for  the  Doc 
tor,  and  impressed  the  governmental  party  as  of  vast  im 
portance,  and  added  immensely  to  the  effectiveness  of 
the  ship  in  the  art  of  war. 

The  Government  made  Will  a  very  liberal  offer  to  act 
as  architect  and  constructor  of  another  ship  similar  to 
Silver  Cloud,  with  such  improvements  as  experience  had 
suggested  to  him.  He  accepted  the  offer,  and  would 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC. 

enter  upon  his  duties  immediately  after  their  return  from 
the  South  Pole.  The  Government  had  immediately  ac 
quiesced  to  their  proposition  to  seek  the  South  Pole,  and 
even  urged  that  they  get  out  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
aluminum  pole,  a  fac-simile  of  the  one  already  planted, 
was  being  constructed. 

One  day,  a  month  after  their  return,  Mrs.  Jones  and 
Mattie  were  summoned  to  the  parlor  at  an  early  hour  for 
callers.  They  found  there  a  large  elderly  gentleman  and 
two  ladies. 

"0  Mattie!"  cried  the  younger,  "don't  you  know  us?" 

"Why !  is  it  possible  that  you  are  our  friends  from  Con 
stance  House?  It  is,  Maggie,  it  is!  And  this  is  Jennie 
Barton!" 

"I  declare  that  I  was  never  so  surprised  and  delighted 
in  my  life!  Can  this  be  Mrs.  Barton?"  And  then  such 
kissing  and  handshaking. 

"And  how  do  you  do,  Mrs.  Barton?  I  would  not  have 
known  you.  How  you  have  improved!"  And  Mrs.  Jones 
scanned  her  face  very  critically.  "Are  you  entirely  recov 
ered?" 

"She  is  so  much  better  that  we  no  longer  consider  her 
an  invalid.  But  I  was  desirous  that  the  Doctor  should  see 
her  again,  and  so  we  have  come  down.  We  were  in  Mon 
treal  when  I  saw  in  a  paper  an  account  of  your  return  to 
Washington.  That  was  the  first  we  had  heard  of  you  since 
you  sailed  from  Constance  House,  and  you  can  well  be 
lieve  that  we  were  exceedingly  pleased  to  hear  of  your 
safe  return.  So  we  made  up  our  minds  that  we  would 
run  down  and  see  you  at  once,"  said  Mr.  Barton. 

After  they  had  conversed  a  few  moments  and  had  in 
quired  after  Joe  and  Sam,  Mrs.  Jones  conducted  them  to 
two  chambers,  insisting  that  they  must  be  her  guests 
while  in  the  city. 

The  Doctor  and  other  members  of  the  party  were  de 
lighted  to  met  the  Bartons.  Dr.  Jones  was  well  pleased 
with  the  progress  that  Mrs.  Barton  had  made.  He  con 
sidered  her  cure  but  a  question  of  a  short  time,  but  in 
sisted,  in  order  that  no  chances  might  be  incurred,  that 
she  should  remain  during  the  winter  at  Washington.  He 
did  not  anticipate  that  they  would  be  gone  more  than 


174  DR    JONES'  PICNIC. 

thirty  days  on  their  South  Pole  expedition,  and  certainly 
not  more  than  two  months.  And  so  they  arranged  that 
they  should  stay  at  least  until  the  return  of  the  expedi 
tion. 

"And  that  settles  it  that  we  are  to  remain  here  until 
next  summer,  for  it  is  very  late  even  now  for  us  to  return 
to  Constance  House.  So  I  will  write  the  hoys  to  that 
effect,  and  shall  settle  down  to  the  study  of  American 
politics,"  said  John  Barton. 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC.  175 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Ho!  for  the  South  Pole! 

Silver  Cloud,  meantime,  had  been  returned  to  the  place 
of  her  birth,  the  great  iron  works  upon  the  Potomac 
river.  Another  shapely  three  hundred  feet  mast  had 
been  manufactured  and  erected.  One  morning  about 
the  middle  of  September,  the  globe  arose  above  the  glit 
tering  mast  and  slowly  settled  upon  it.  The  fastenings 
were  soon  adjusted,  the  flag  of  aluminum  nailed  to  the 
peak,  and  Silver  Cloud  was  herself  again,  ready  for  an 
other  trip  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

Will  had  made  a  number  of  additions  and  alterations, 
among  which  was  an  increase  in  the  size  and  strength  of 
the  coiled  springs  that  were  used  for  hoisting  purposes 
and  running  the  dynamo.  A  powerful  searchlight  had 
been  added,  and  the  electrical  appliances  greatly  in 
creased.  Among  other  things,  he  had  a  two  horse  power 
steam  engine  set  up.  This  was  to  be  used  for  winding 
the  springs.  Good  old  John  Barton  was  never  happier 
in  his  life  than  at  this  period.  His  interest  in  the  globe 
was  intense,  and  he  daily  spent  hours  with  Will  at  the 
iron  works.  He  made  several  valuable  suggestions,  and 
his  hard  common  sense  and  experience  were  of  no  little 
value  to  the  architect. 

"If  I  were  not  getting  so  far  along  in  years,  and  mother 
was  perfectly  well  and  willing,  I  should  like  nothing  bet 
ter  than  to  go  with  you  this  trip,"  said  he  to  Dr.  Jones. 
"But  we  will  stay  and  keep  house  for  you  until  your  re 
turn." 

"And  that  will  be  but  a  very  few  weeks,  I  am  quite 
sure,"  answered  the  Doctor.  "It  is  not  likely  that  we 
shall  be  made  prisoners  three  months  this  trip.  And  that 
reminds  me  that  I  received  a  letter  from  Count  Icanovich 
this  morning,  Maggie,  and  it  inclosed  one  from  Feodora 
to  you." 

The  letters  were  hastily  read.  They  were  well,  and 
Feodora  had  never  been  better  in  her  life.  The  Count 


176  DR.  -TONES'   PICNIC. 

had  been  studying  and  practicing  the  new  system  of  med 
icine,  and,  to  his  unbounded  delight,  had  made  some  cen 
ter  shots.  His  enthusiasm  was  steadily  increasing,  and 
he  implored  the  Doctor  to  return  to  Russia  and  co-operate 
with  him  in  introducing  this  God-given  system  into  that 
vast  empire.  He  assured  him  that  they  had  everything 
to  hope  for.  The  Princess  was  getting  on  quite  comfort 
ably,  and  the  fame  of  what  Dr.  Jones  had  done  for  her 
had  become  national.  Numerous  physicians  of  note  had 
called  upon  and  written  the  Prince  and  himself  to  ascer 
tain  the  facts  concerning  the  marvelous  cures  that  had 
been  reported  to  them.  The  Prince  and  Princess  sent 
their  sincere  regards,  etc.  Feodora  wrote  in  a  lively 
strain  to  Mrs.  Jones  and  Mattie,  and  urged  them  to  re 
turn  to  their  castle  for  a  good  visit  as  soon  as  possible. 
These  letters  were  answered  promptly,  the  Doctor  giving 
advice  concerning  a  case  or  two  that  the  Count  had  found 
puzzling.  He  promised  them  a  visit  as  soon  after  their 
return  from  the  South  Pole  as  possible. 

Two  or  three  mornings  later  Washington  was  again 
packed  with  visitors  to  witness  the  departure  of  Silver 
Cloud  for  the  southern  extremity  of  the  earth.  Greater 
enthusiasm  than  before  was  expressed  by  everyone,  for 
now  there  were  no  skeptics,  and  everybody  cheered  with 
might  and  main. 

As  on  the  previous  occasion,  the  hour  of  noon  was 
selected  for  sailing.  This  gave  people  from  the  sur 
rounding  country  an  opportunity  to  come  in  and  witness 
the  magnificent  scene.  It  was  declared  a  holiday  by  gen 
eral  consent,  and  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  nearly 
the  whole  earth  was  represented  in  the  unnumbered  hosts 
that  filled  the  streets,  covered  the  housetops  and  surround 
ing  hills,  and  every  spot  and  place  that  afforded  any  pos 
sibility  of  seeing  the  ascent  of  the  globe. 

The  friends  and  acquaintances  that  the  company  col 
lectively  and  individually  had  formed  were  out  in  full 
force.  Numerous  and  hearty  were  the  handshakings; 
"Good-bye,"  and  "Bon  Voyage,"  were  heard  on  every 
hand. 

The  globe  was  anchored  at  but  fifty  feet  from  the  earth. 
The  cage  had  been  enlarged  so  that  the  voyagers  now  as 
cended  four  at  a  time.  This  they  did  a  few  minutes  be- 


DR.  JONES'   PICNIC.  177 

fore  noon.  The  organ  was  taken  out  upon  the  balcony, 
and  "God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again,"  was  sung  by 
our  friends.  The  three  Bartons  stood  just  below  and  op 
posite  the  choir,  tears  of  friendship  and  gratitude  stream 
ing  down  their  faces.  We  will  state  here  (quite  privately 
be  it  understood)  that  Will  and  Jennie  had  come  to  an  un 
derstanding  that  seemed  to  be  very  satisfactory  to  them, 
and  their  leavetaking  was  more  affectionate  than  is  usual 
with  mere  acquaintances,  or  even  intimate  friends.  It  is 
the  old  story.  Cupid  has  done  his  work  again.  Well, 
God  bless  them,  and  may  a  parson  step  in  and  complete 
the  love  god's  work  very  soon  after  Silver  Cloud  shall 
have  returned.  And  Fred  visited  Grace  at  the  mayor's 
house  in  New  York.  There  may  be  trouble  of  the  same 
sort  brewing  there. 

But  the  bells  and  whistles  have  announced  the  hour  for 
sailing.  The  anchors  were  tripped,  and  Silver  Cloud 
arose  with  the  majesty  of  the  Queen  of  Night,  nearly 
perpendicularly  above  the  city  to  the  height  of  three 
thousand  feet;  there,  to  the  extreme  satisfaction  of  Dr. 
Jones,  a  brisk  breeze  from  the  northeast  was  encountered, 
and  away  sailed  the  beautiful  globe  until  the  straining 
eyes  of  the  multitude  saw  it  -as  a  bright  star-like  point 
in  the  heavens,  and  then  it  disappeared — bound  for  the 
SOUTH  POLE. 

THE  END. 


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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-50m-5,'  70  ( N6725s8 )  458— A-31/5 


N9  826356 


Chapman,  S.E. 

Doctor  Jones1  picnic 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


&*     ,1 


